


The Emperor's Daughter

by PuellaPulchra



Series: Emperors Legacy [1]
Category: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Kane Chronicles - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Child Abuse, F/M, Fantasy, Implied Reference Child Abuse, Literature, Locked up, Multi, Runaway, Step Siblings, Step-siblings, fan fiction, single mom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-04-06 19:22:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 21,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14063808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PuellaPulchra/pseuds/PuellaPulchra
Summary: Even after all the hell she's been through and mistakes she's made running away from home would always have been the best thing she's ever done.Or the Third Member of the Triumvirate has a daughter and she leaves home when she finds out just how evil he is.





	1. Runaway

**Author's Note:**

> Next:[puellapulchra100.deviantart.co…](https://puellapulchra100.deviantart.com/art/Emperor-s-Daughter-Ch-2-731844479?ga_submit_new=10%3A1519363648&ga_type=edit&ga_changes=1)
> 
> This is technically a Riordan Verse fanfic, the emperor mentioned in the title, is supposed to be the third emperor. So, this universe I do not own.  
> Warning character death.
> 
> It's also on tumblr. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy it. 

Julia is a young teenager, beautiful, stubborn and very musically inclined. She absolutely adores the violin that used to belong to her mother. She lives in a huge mansion filled with older and younger brother’s and sisters, all from the same father but not necessarily from the same mom. 

Her mother dies when she was 10 , the mystery surrounding her death is kept super quiet. She’s told that her mother died from a freak accident, but no one is really certain what happened, other then her father and a few of his most trusted guards. 

When Julia turns sixteen, she sees first hand how cruel her father can be, and how evil he truly is, when she is beaten for daring to speak out of turn. 

But her father has his hand in almost every pocket on the western side of the country that all it results in his her being locked away. 

Realizing there is nothing she can do, and her siblings being of absolutely no help because they are to sucked in or evil to care. She starts planning her escape.

Julia spends the next two years learning how to fight. Taking walks around the palace, drawing up maps, truly seeing everything. Memorizing rotations, and camera turns, and she charms her escort to teach her the art of the sword. How to fight in the roman way.   
Finally on her eighteenth birthday. Before the sun is up Julia grabs an overnight bag filled with clothing, a few photos, every single piece of jewelry she owns, and her violin,  

Julia’s practiced so many times she could do this in her sleep. She listens for the snoring of the guard outside her door. (It’s four in the morning, and a Tuesday, this particular guard always had a habit of nodding off around 2 and not waking up until six.

There’s a camera just outside her room but it moves around. So she sticks a pin in the lock and watches the camera from the small window in her door, she hears the small click turns the latch and waits…  
 _  
Yes_. The camera turns and she opens the door and runs as fast as she can down the hall.

Julia knows how to avoid the camera’s and has memorized the guards rotation. She knows exactly where to sidestep to avoid being seen.   
She’d already decided that she would avoid hijacking one of her father’s cars it would take to much time… But as she passes the garage door… it occurs to her that leaving the building isn’t much use if she can’t leave the state. So she deviates and hurries into the garage.   
Julia knows the passcode, of course she does, after locking her in her room her father wouldn’t dare think to change the passcodes. She walks in freely. Breathing a sigh of relief. There are several lines of keys hanging off a wall, and several cars all facing there own garage door. 

She picks the key to her own car (a sweet sixteen gift) and hops in to the car, turns on the engine, and presses a button that opens the garage door and floors it. 

There are gates lining the property but if Julia stops to pick the lock now she’s dead since she knows the guards are coming for her. She drives right through the gate. Her car takes heavy damage but the gate breaks open and she drives right through. She sends a quick prayer of thanks. 

She hears yelling and screaming from behind her, but she doesn’t look back. 

Her father should have known better. If death couldn’t stop him, a locked door was never going to stop her. 

After all she is her father’s daughter.   
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	2. Street Corner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previous:[puellapulchra100.deviantart.co…](https://puellapulchra100.deviantart.com/art/The-Emperor-s-Daughter-731065795)  
> Next:[puellapulchra100.deviantart.co…](https://puellapulchra100.deviantart.com/art/Emperor-s-Daughter-Ch-3-732354079?ga_submit_new=10%3A1519363533)
> 
> So yeah, another chapter, hope you enjoyed!

She heads all the way to Boston, pawning off every bit of jewellery she owns, gives her car a new paintjob (It was princess pink, but now it’s raven black) and buys new licence plates, and changes her name, her hair, and wears colored contacts. She can not afford her father finding her now. 

She sleeps in her car. Eating as little as she can, trying to make every penny she owns, last. 

She spends a few nights in Boston like that when she sees a man playing in the middle of the road. People are throwing money into the man’s guitar case. 

Now, Julia- now Cassie did not ride all the way to Boston just to die in the back of her car, but she’s not stupid to think she can just open her violin case and start playing. So she watches the man, and waits for him to finish, and when it looks like he’s packing to go she walks up to him and starts asking him questions. Dropping some coins into his hand before she does so. 

She get’s all this information, uses it to her advantage and it’s not long before she’s playing her violin at street corners, people throwing coins, and bills into her guitar case. 

It’s here she meets him, he never drops in money but instead odd stones, that she later comes to know to be red gold. She pawns that off as well and the amount she gets’ s from that small stone allows her to rent an apartment for a year. 

She can tell there’ s something about him. He’s different and powerful, and she’s immediately wary. Her father was a powerful man, and dangerous. The way he holds himself, the aura he has tells her that even though his hand is missing that he is not human. 

He hands her red gold every time he sees her which is almost everyday. Eventually when she finishes one day, she finds he’s still there. She’s wary, but living locked away taught her how to be powerful, even when there’s no power to be had.

He asks her out. 

She turns him down. Flat. She owes him nothing, the red gold was payment for the music she played. She already worked for it. 

He seems surprised. He smiles, the smile is charming she will admit, but her father could also be charming. He asks if she might change her mind. And besides the last time she was with someone…

She insists that she’s not interested, her tone short clipped and annoyed but instead of becoming angry at her, the man smiles. 

“Challenging” The man says. “I like it”

She rolls her eyes and walks away. He let’s her. 

He sees her again, and she’s wary, but slowly she comes to realize she has nothing to fear. Still It’s weeks before she allows him to take her to dinner. He makes her laugh.   

She never allows herself to become to drunk when the man’s around. Who’s name she later comes to realize is Tyr. 

She somewhat recognizes the name from when she was curious about other mythologies, that weren’t roman, or Greek. But she can’t remember which. So she does some research and figures out that the man she has come to know is the god of personal challenges. 

She never tells him, scared doing so would make things worse. 

But still, slowly he coaxes her out of her shell. Her makes her laugh, and cries, and she talks back to him, refuses to let herself be shut down. Refuses to be pulled back into the prison she had known with her father. He may be a god, but so was her father, and she cannot afford to be afraid again. 

And he gives her no reason to be afraid. And as the fear dissipates excitement and curiosity takes its place, he’s kind, generous and so gentle, maybe being with him physically wouldn’t be so bad. 

So, a year after they first met, when he kisses her, she pulls him closer. 

In the end, getting Julia to sleep with the Norse god of personal challenges. wasn’t much of a challenge after all.    
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	3. Natalie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Previous](https://puellapulchra100.deviantart.com/art/Emperor-s-Daughter-731844479)   
>  Next: [puellapulchra100.deviantart.co…](https://puellapulchra100.deviantart.com/art/Emperor-s-Daughter-Ch-4-732631798?ga_submit_new=10%3A1519588805)  
> Ha! So yes Natalie Chase has been introduced. Obviously pre-Frey. This is like 22 years ish before the start of the Trials of Apollo/ Magnus chase series, so Natalie has time before she catches the eye of Frey. 
> 
> Randolph and Fredrick may make an appearance, later.  Again pree Athena and pre marriage. Though I think Randolph is the oldest so he and Fredrick would both be in college right now. And Fredrick wouuld have just started. Natalie is in her last year of highschool (18teen)
> 
> The MAth is probably so _very_ off right now. If it is I'm sorry. But this is also an AU. So...

The nightmare she had that night should probably have been expected, but it honestly threw her for a loop, she hadn’t had that nightmare since she left home, though it probably shouldn’t have surprised her.

She’s shaken awake, by Tyr, and she’s gasping and breathing far to hard and she can’t seem to calm down. There are hands grasping her wrists and she spends a few minutes confused and scared trying to break free.

“Cassie, Cassie” Tyr is saying. It takes her a moment for her to realize that that’s her name, the name she chose after she ran away. 

She turns to the man she spent a year trying to get to know. Her eyes wide and scared. Then slowly they fill with recognition and she calm’s down. 

“I’m ok” She says repetitively. “I’m ok” 

Tyr doesn’t believe her. “Who’s Dante?” He asks her. 

Her eyes widen, and she looks away. “A boy I once knew” She says before she throws the covers back over herself and tries to go back to sleep. 

That’s the last time she and Tyr see each other. She has no idea if he left because he got what he wanted, or because he realized that she's a lot more broken then he thought

She has no time to figure it out though. 

She’s pregnant. 

\--- 

She still plays at street corners, her tummy slowly getting bigger and bigger, she reciees glares from some woman, “Irresponsible” she hears more and more often. 

But there are some people who are kind. 

A woman with blonde hair and a pixie cut, smiles and hands her some money, and glares at any of the passersby who dare think to give her a hard time. 

Her name is Natalie Chase. And she is fierce and strong, and takes all of the crap that Cassie dumps on her and more, she sees a friend in Cassie, and at first that scares her. Tyr was a god, her had nothing to fear from her family, but Natalie is human, Julia can sense that, she could get hurt by her family. 

 

She pushes Natalie away. She can’t risk Natalie getting hurt, not because of her relation to her, but Natalie refuses to be pushed away. 

“Why can’t you just leave me alone?” Cassie asks Natalie. 

Natalie shakes her head. “Because your lonely and you need my help”

Cassie laughs bitterly. “I don’t need you” She says. “I’m no helpless child that needs a rich girls hand out” 

Natalie looks surprised and hurt at the accusation. “It’s not a handout” She argues. “I just…”

The words taste like acid coming out of Cassie’s mouth, but she doesn’t know how far father is willing to go to bring her back and she can’t bring Natalie into that. So, she lies. 

“Just what?” Cassie asks. “You feel sorry for me? The little girl who got knocked up, and now has to deal with a pregnancy? With absolutely no help from the father? I don’t need you, I don’t need anyone.”

“I don’t believe you” Natalie says, and Cassie feels her temper rising. 

“That’s your problem” Cassie hisses “Stay away from me”

“No” Natalie says. “You’re lying, I can hear it, you don’t want that, you want a friend, someone you can rely on.”

Cassie scoffs, though inside she wants to cry. “And you think it’s you? You’re a child, younger then I am, what on earth do you know?”

Natalie steps closer. “Your scared” Natalie says. “You can’t have this baby by yourself not with the money you make playing at street corners all day”

“I make more then you think” Cassie says   

“You need someone to watch the baby after it’s born I can help with that, just please trust me”

“Why?” 

“Because, you need it” Natalie says. “And I don’t know, I had a feeling that you could use my help.”

She has to wonder if Tyr is watching out for her more then she thought. “It could be dangerous”

This time it’s Natalie who scoffs. “What is so dangerous about being your friend?”

And Cassie wants to tell her, about her father, about Dante about everything. But she’s scared. 

“You don’t want to know” 

Natalie looks at her square in the eye. Cassie can see the determination in them and Cassie decides to reveal. If Natalie is so determined to be her friend, she deserves to no what exactly she’s getting herself into.

Worse that could happen is that Natalie does not believe. 

Sorry did she think worst?

She meant best.  
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	4. Flashback:Dante

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julia had a lover before she ran away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Previous](https://puellapulchra100.deviantart.com/art/Emperor-s-Daughter-Ch-3-732354079)   
>  Next:Coming soon
> 
> So yes that happened. I call her Julia here because this is before she changes her name. 

It wasn’t just talking out of turn, that led to him beating her, and it wasn’t a simple beating that lead to her running away.  
     
Before being locked in her room, before being hit, before begging for help, before deciding she had to leave; there was a boy.

It’s clichéd and stupid, but so very true. 

He had chocolate brown hair, and soft green eyes, he was gentle and kind, and had the most gorgeous laugh in the world.  

His name was Dante and he’s a member of her father’s guard. Originally raised in Nero’s army and a son of Mars. He was kind and gentle, so unlike other children of Mars that she can’t actually believe it at first. She never intended to fall in love, never intended to get so close to him, had been warned by so many people, her own twin brother Julius had warned her, had threatened to tell father. 

She had tried to stay away. She had wanted to stay away, but he made her laugh and made her feel safe, she believed him when he said that he would protect her. 

“I would take on your father and all his guards if it meant I could protect you and keep you forever” 

Julia blushed when he said that. He pushes a strand of hair behind her ear to better see her blushing face. She could marry him, but father wants to keep her, for marital ties should they be necessary. Besides a princess marrying a lowly soldier? Her father would be so disgusted.

Her father was always so stuck in the past. 

She knows father would be angry. But she doubts it is as bad as Julius pretends it is. Yet a part of her can’t help but remember the darkness in his eyes whenever on of his children stepped out of line. 

She pushes Dante away. “You’re so lame” She says before giving him a kiss. “Just stay safe” She whispers. “For me?”

Dante kisses her. A hand on the back of her neck the other on the small of her back. “I’m a son of Mars.” He teases. “What could happen?”

She’s woken in the middle of the night, ripped out of bed and taken to her father’s court room where she sees Dante chained and kneeled before her father. 

“Father what are you doing?” She asks scared. 

“This boy has dared set his eyes upon one of your princesses” Father roars to. “One of my beloved daughters” Julia’s eyes widened, and she seeks out Julius. Julius smirks at her mockingly. “For that He must be punished.”

“Father no please” Julia doesn’t know what he was planning, but her father is scaring her. “It was me I was a willing participant please let him be”

"Let this serve as a lesson to any who would dare, think to set their sights upon my children” Her father says to the crowd. “Dante, I sentence you to death”

Julia’s eyes widened. “NO!” She screeched the guards grabbed at her shoulders and held er back as she watched as father unsheathed his sword and swung it. 

Julia went limp in the guard’s hand. She broke down crying, she was crouched low on the ground as the crowd dispersed.

“Why?” She cried. “Why?” 

Her father ordered the guards to take her to her room to help her calm down. The drag her back to her room, and she breaks down crying. 

A while later her father came in.

“A guard should have known better then than to be in a relationship with one of my princesses” She heard her father say. 

“Did you have to kill him?”

“He was seen with you I couldn’t allow any of my other guards thinking that something like that was allowed. You’re my princess, and he was nothing but a lowly guard”

“He was a demigod son of Mars” She said. “How much higher up could I possibly get?”

“Not here he wasn’t” Her father said. “Here he was a guard. And you were meant for something greater””

“He was everything to me!” She cried. Tears fell down her face. “And because of you…”

“And because of me I stopped you from making the biggest mistake of your life”

“You’re a monster!” She cried. 

Her father’s eyes turned dark and he walked forward and pulled her up and dragged her out of his room.” 

“I could kill you for that comment” He hissed. “But you’re my daughter so I’ll have to punish you some other way”

He pulled her out of her room and dragged her to downstairs all the way to the dungeons. He threw her into the cell and pulled a whip from a nearby and shut the door behind him.   
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	5. Chase Mansion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natalie is stubborn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Previous](https://puellapulchra100.deviantart.com/art/Emperor-s-Daughter-Ch-4-732631798) 
> 
> Next: Coming soon
> 
> So yeah Natalie knows and she's staying for Cassie. 

Julia- No, Cassie takes a deep breath. “He hurt me badly. Killed the man I loved and then took me down to the dungeons and tortured me so badly it was months before I could move again. Later I learned that my father was keeping his daughters pure, so he could marry us off to those that would give him more political power” 

Natalie looks at her wide eyed. “That's impossible”

Cassie doesn’t deny it. She knows it’s true. 

“Demigods? That sounds ridiculous” Natalie says. “Your father being an immortal emperor from 2000 years ago? That's crazy.” 

Cassie nods. “I know” 

“I believe you” 

“Yeah, you should – What?”

Natalie looked at Cassie her expression earnest. “I believe you” 

“I sound insane” 

“And you know that” Natalie said. “So, either your lying to me, or your telling the truth” Natalie said. “A crazy person would have insisted they’re telling the truth, a liar, would be insisting they’re telling the truth, you want me to disbelieve you. You truly think your father is a monster, and you don’t want me involved.”

“It’s dangerous” Cassie said. “I changed my name, my car colors, my licence plate, my hair color isn’t my natural hair color it’s actually a light brown not auburn, my eyes are brown not green, I wear colored contacts.” 

“I still want to help” Natalie said. 

“If father finds me-” Cassie says 

“Then let him” Natalie says. “I’m not turning my back on you”

“Please, Natalie I’m begging you, you have graduation and college to think about, please just walk away” Cassie says she’s practically begging she can not bear seeing another person she loves getting hurt.

“No” Natalie says. “I’m not afraid.”

“If he thinks your in his way, he will not hesitate, he will kill you, is that what you want Natalie? For your family to bury you too early?”

“Your trying to scare me, and it’s just making me more determined, so please stop” Natalie says. “Right now, let’s get you home, all this anxiety can not be good for the baby.” 

She can feel the baby kicking and she puts a hand on her abdomen rubbing her slightly protruding belly. 

Natalie drags her to the Chase mansion, deciding that Cassie, being left alone in that apartment, is the worst idea ever. Natalie introduces her to her mother and father, she smiles and bows low, before remembering that that’s not how you deal with people in the mortal world, but before she can correct herself Mrs. Chase is chuckling.

Natalie gives off some excuse that Cassie will barely remember in the morning, and begs for her mom to please let Cassie sleepover?

Mrs. Chase looks at Cassie’s protruding stomach with a raised eyebrow.

“How old are you?”

“19” She says. “Nearly 20, homeschooled mostly, left home at eighteen, live in a small apartment a mile or two away.”

“Family not approve of your boyfriend?”

“Among other things.” Cassie says swallowing the lump in her throat. 

“What happened to him”

“Mom” Natalie says stepping in. “Please”

“He’s dead” Cassie says, it’s true, though not the whole truth. “Killed in a really bad accident.”

Mrs. Chases eyes widen. “Oh, I’m so sorry, that must be awful,”

Cassie nods and swallows the lump in her throat. Her eyes prick with unshed tears.

“Can I take her upstairs now?” Natalie says. Mrs. Chase barely has time to nod before Natalie is pulling her into her room. 

The room is big, though not as big as the room she used to have in the palace (before it was severely downsized). It’s quaint, bigger then the room she has in her apartment, paintings of trees litter the room. There’s a window on the east wall allowing her to catch the sun as it’s rising. There are binoculars on the windowsill, and a bunch of hiking equipment scattered throughout the room. 

“Outdoorsy” Cassie mentions. Natalie leads her to the bed and sets her down. 

“You can take your shoes off, if you want” Natalie says awkwardly. Cassie kicks off her converses and curls up on the bed. 

“You were supposed to run, not invite me into your house” Cassie mutters. 

“What can I say, I like defying expectations” Natalie says. “Now tell me more, of this world”

Cassie sighs. “I slept with the Norse god of personal challenges, that’s who’s this child’s father is.” 

The look on Natalie’s face almost causes her to break out laughing. Almost. 

\---      
“So Norse gods are real too?”

“Yep” 

“And Roman”

“Yes” 

“And Greek”

“Yep”

“And emperors who have supposedly been dead for two thousand years give or take a hundred or, so years are actually immortal.”

“Yes” 

“Wow” 

“Yep”

“I can’t tell anyone they’d think I was nuts” Natalie said lying on her bed. 

“I was hoping you’d think I was nuts” Cassie says.

Natalie sat up and nudged Cassie in the arm. “Hush” She says. 

Cassie smiles. 

Natalie looks down before looking back at her a curious glint in her eyes. “Tell me more”

\---  
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	6. Brenda

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Cassie is super lucky she met and befriended the Chases

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Previous](https://puellapulchra100.deviantart.com/art/Emperor-s-Daughter-CH-5-732912867)   
>  Next:[puellapulchra100.deviantart.co…](https://puellapulchra100.deviantart.com/art/Emperor-s-Daughter-Ch-7-733129517)
> 
> Yep so that happened. I hope this doesn't seem to out there. Cassandra is in a bit of a tight spot here, and she hopes doing this could mean a chance at giving her daughter a better life. But she's also 19-20 mistakes are going to be made. 
> 
> I know there are two symphanies based in New York and I also know there's one in Boston, new York Orchestra is one I made up since I have no idea if I can use New York Philharmonic or New York Symphony Orchestra since they are actual orchestra's that actually exist. 

The baby is born screaming into the world. Angry loud cries, this relieves Cassie more then it probably should, any one with lungs like that, is safe and well. With lungs like that she’ll have no problems letting herself be heard. She can tell with those cries that her daughter will be strong, will be a fighter, will not let anyone stand in her way. 

Those cries tell her, that no matter what her daughter will be fine. 

With those cries she holds her daughter tightly. “Brenda” She whispers. “Brenda Romano” She whispers.  “Her name is Brenda Romano” 

\----    

She takes to dropping her daughter off at the Chase mansion. Mrs. Chase loves watching her daughter. She plays from dawn to way past dusk brings home the money she collected off people on the street. 

She never plays on the weekends, that’s time she needs to devote to her daughter. She sings and dances around the apartment with her daughter. She blows raspberries on her little girl’s tummy and enjoys hearing her laugh. 

“I love you” She whispers as she sings her daughter to sleep. “So much”

Going to the Chase house for weekly dinners becomes almost second nature. She laughs with Natalie’s middle brother Fredrick and learns to roll her eyes when Randolph gets into one of his Norse Mythology tirades. 

Randolph doesn’t know what Brenda is, and Cassie has sworn Natalie to secrecy. Natalie has agreed, she doesn’t trust Randolph all that much either. 

Fredrick is bright man, and he’s always in his room typing up some essay, and Cassie learns quickly to stay out of his way when he’s in the throes of an essay. 

She feels happy, that she finally has a family there. 

But like most things change comes when you least expect it. 

\--- 

“You’re moving to New York?” Natalie asks. 

“I didn’t say that”

“You should be” Natalie said bouncing Brenda on her lap. “It’s the New York Orchestra.”

“Yes, it is”

“They clearly think your good enough to want you to audition” Natalie said. “I can watch Brenda…”

“And if I get it?” She says. “I’d have to move, uproot Brenda, uproot myself, f”

“It’s a wonderful opportunity” Natalie says. “Take it”

“And if I get the job?”

“We’ll cross that bridge if, and when it comes”

Mrs. Chase comes in "What bridge are we crossing"

"I got an audition with an Orchestra that's based in New York" Cassie says. "Natalie is trying to convince me to go."

"You should, I hear being in that orchestra pays really good."

"I can't do that to Brenda"

"Yes you can, it could mean a better life for her" Mrs Chase says with a nod to little Brenda. "Go, worse that could happen is that you lose and your at the same place where you started."

She looks between Mrs. Chase and Natalie and sighs. "Fine" She says picking up a phone and making he phone call to schedule and audition. 

\---    

She spends the next week preparing for the audition. Picking the music isn't hard, she picks a song that was a favorite of her's and Dante's (and one she happened to be playing when she met Tyr). She just practises it over and over, working through the memories it brings up. She catches Natalie crying when she plays it and she _hopes_ it's a good sign. 

She puts Brenda in the care of the Chase family. Gives Brenda the biggest kiss she can and hops in her car and rides to Boston.

\--- 

She heads to the building where audition is. She knows what she’s doing she’s performed publicly multiple times.  

She introduced herself to the judges and placed the Violin on her shoulder, readied her bow, and started to play. She feels as 

She found herself back at the street corners. This time instead of Tyr throwing in red gold it was Dante, standing there watching her play the music flowed through her as he smiled. This song was his favorite. 

The song itself was a flurry of emotion, it started off slow but comforting, like a lullaby, before the beat picked up and it became faster and upbeat, and the scene changed to the ballroom at the Palace as she and Dante danced around the room, in the dead of night no one finding them. She laughed with Natalie she was feeding her daughter. Then the next part of the song came feeling like a storm, and she was back home watching Dante being killed, feeling herself being tortured by her father’s hand. She was locked away, her heart racing as she ran down the hallway running away from home. Then the music slowed, and she was back at the street corner playing watching people place money into her case. This time she was surrounded, by Natalie, her daughter, Dante, Tyr, Dante steps forward and clasps her face and kisses her. 

_Forgive me?_ She asks

Dante shakes his head. _There’s nothing to forgive._  
  
The music changes on a dime and it ends on a literal high note. Her heart the lightest it’s ever been.

Cassie plays her last note and puts the violin down. 

The Judges thanked her for her time and she smiles and shakes their hands, thanking them profusely and walked out of the room. She slowly placed the violin in her case put on her coat and walked out of the building. 

   
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	7. PuellaPulchra100

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassie moves to New York

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 6:[puellapulchra100.deviantart.co…](https://puellapulchra100.deviantart.com/art/Emperor-s-Daughter-Ch-6-732971592)
> 
> **A/N Warning:  
> **  
>  Cassie is breastfeeding her baby, and I mention that one of breasts are exposed.

A week later she gets a call, she was accepted into the Orchestra. 

The Chase family celebrates. She holds tightly to Brenda as they celebrate, her nerves almost frayed. Though she can’t exactly find the reason as to why. 

“Call me” Natalie insists holding her hand. “Often, especially if you find yourself in trouble” Natalie stares at her meaningfully. 

“If I have to move for any reason, you’ll be the first I call” Cassie says. 

“Why would you have to move, you’ll do great in New York” Fredrick said giving her a sideways hug. 

“Oh, you know this, that and a lot of other things” Cassie says. She held up Brenda, she had been holding him all day. “You’re the only person here who hasn’t held Brenda yet, one last chance before we lea-ve” Cassie sang. Brenda gave Fredrick a toothy grin. 

It always amused Cassie whenever Fred was handed Brenda. He always looked worried, as though he was going to accidently break the child. 

“I’d rather not” Fredrick said. Brenda grabbed Cassie’s finger and started gumming her hand. 

“Could you get her teething ring from her diaper bag?” Cassie asked Natalie. Natalie grabbed a purple squishy eight looking toy filled with water. Cassie gave it too Brenda who immediately started to bite into it. 

“Congratulations on this Cassie” She swallowed heavily and turned to Randolph who had spoken. 

“Hey Randolph” She said with a smile. Randolph put a finger under Brenda’s free hand and she clasped it tightly. 

“Hey Brenda” He cooed. “Who’s a cute little baby?” 

Brenda giggled and laughed. 

Randolph loves kids. It was probably the one redeeming quality he had. She didn’t trust Randolph to be alone with her kid like she did with Natalie, but she did trust the cooing was at least genuine. 

“She’s adorable, Cassie, and so well adjusted too”

Natalie looks at him suspiciously. “Continue on with that line of thinking asshole and I will personally rip you apart” 

Cassie covers Brenda’s ears. “Ahh, no talk of violence in front of the baby!”

“Please Brenda is going to be used to violence if what I know about her father are true” Randolph says.

Cassie turns to Natalie. She raised her hands. “I told him nothing.”

“I figured it out Cassie, her father is Tyr god of personal challenges” Randolph says “Hey Brenda, I challenge you to drop your teething ring” 

Brenda cries and drops her teething ring. 

“I challenge you to cry as loud as you can” Brenda cries louder then she’s ever done before. IT hurts Cassie’s ears.

“I challenge you to stop crying” Brenda’s cries immediately cease. 

Cassie looks at Randolph and surprise. “What the hell was that.?”

“Her father’s the god of challenges, taking challenges is in her DNA”

“How did you figure that out” Cassie said suddenly feeling scared and frightened. Her baby couldn’t have been cursed with this.    

“I had a theory, I tested it out” Randolph said. Natalie looks at Randolph furious. Cassie wanted to smack him, fortunately Natalie beat him to it.

“You don’t ever do something like that again” Natalie says. “Ever”

“It’s better she knows her baby’s weakness now, then she finds out about it later, this way she can prepare for it” Randolph defends himself. “Besides I have no reason to do this again.”

Cassie suddenly found it very hard to breath. No, no, her baby no, this, this couldn’t be. 

Natalie brings Cassie to a private room. 

“No, no, no, no” She says repeatedly. “No, this can’t happen” She cries. “No.”

“It will be ok” Natalie says. 

“Don’t you understand what this means?” Cassie says. “With a sentence someone can subvert my daughters freewill” 

Natalie hugs Cassie. “I know you, Cassie. You’ll handle this, you handled pregnancy, you handled getting out of your father’s house, and you will figure this out and you’ll figure out how to help her handle this.”

Cassie took a deep breath. “I never wanted this for her”

“I know” Natalie said. “But it’s here and you have to deal with this, and you will.”

Cassie takes a deep breath. “OK, Ok, ok, you’re right I can do this I’ll be fine”  
\---    

The move to New York is easy, packing up her small apartment is simple and easy, she didn’t have much in the way of personal artifacts. Just clothes, and a few sentimental pictures of her and her mother, a lot of the jewelry she had she pawned away when she moved there to pay for food, and a way to disguise herself. The only piece of jewelry she has left, is a bracelet she owns, and a hair clip that transforms into a sword. She folds Brenda’s playpen and puts it into her car, anything to big to put into her car, she places in the moving van. 

She packs her car, and places Brenda into her car seat and drives all the way to New York. She eyes her daughter in the backseat. Worried and frightened still over what she found out may mean. “I love you sweetie” She says softly. 

Brenda smiles and bites into her teething ring. The rest of the ride spent in uneasy silence.

\---- 

The apartment is small, has one room, but after Boston small apartments don’t really bother her. The first thing she sets up is the playpen and she places many toys inside it so Brenda is safe and sound and relatively mobile so Cassie can clean and set up everything else she’s brought over. 

She spends the entire day, between feeding and holding, and changing her kid cleaning the house. The floors the windows, the walls, every nook and cranny that she can reach is washed over repeatedly. 

Once she finishes, she unpacks the clothes, and hangs them in her and Brenda’s closet, Cassie  
‘s clothes on the right, and Brenda’s on the left. Places pictures of her mom and herself all over the house, and the one photo she was able to get of Tyr and places it beside a picture of her mom on her bedside table. 

Natalie promised she was going to send over some stuff to help, and the truck was going to come over with the bed the next day. 

Cassie didn’t mind sleeping on the floor, and she had brought the playpen so, Brenda would have a place to sleep while they waited for the moving van. 

She fishes out some baby food and feeds Brenda, some mashed turkey. “Hey sweetie” She says laying on the floor with her baby in her lap. “Want some carrots?” 

The baby eats a few spoonsful from the bottle, but it’s clear she wants to be Breast fed so she takes the baby into her arms, exposes a breast leaving the baby to suckle.

She sighs as she stares into her baby’s eyes, smiles and kisses her forehead. “I love you so much baby girl. We will figure out a way for you to beat your fatal flaw” It is, as much as she hates to admit it is her fatal flaw. If used in a certain this could end with her baby’s death and she can’t bear the thought of that, and she makes a small promise to herself that she’ll never challenge her baby to do anything. No matter how loud or angry her baby gets. 

\---  
That night she reads her babies favorite story book, a book she picked up that is based off of Norse Mythology. 

Her baby falls asleep in her lap and she lays the baby in her play pen and Cassie fall’s asleep beside her baby’s playpen.  
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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like the final scene. Also remember TJ in Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard? That's where Brenda's Fatal flaw came from. Like her half brother Brenda can not turn down a challenge. 


	8. New York

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Living in New York, Raising Brenda and Playing in an Orchestra

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Previous](https://puellapulchra100.deviantart.com/art/Emperor-s-Daughter-Ch-7-733129517)   
>  Next: [puellapulchra100.deviantart.co…](https://puellapulchra100.deviantart.com/art/Emperor-s-Daughter-Ch-9-734969295?ga_submit_new=10%3A1520778712)
> 
> So yeah she's met Apollo, and she's kind of nervous. 
> 
> If you feel the music portion of this is all over the place it's kind of supposed to be she's letting the music guide her thoughts so her mind is following the music. 

Living in New York is much more expensive than it was in Boston, in Boston she had The Chases to help her with the baby, here she must find a daycare that’s good but also cheap. Which is still a lot more expensive. 

She uses the last of Tyr’s stones of red gold to pay for her child to stay in daycare for the next year.  
\---  
Her daughters first word is ‘momma’ 

Something that shocks and pleases her, she spends the entire day, getting her to say the words. 

“Say momma!” She says. “Say momma?”

“Momma!” Brenda says. She’s rewarded with a kiss on her check on her forehead, whenever she starts to speak.

Cassie was worried that her lack of presence in her child’s life, would cause Brenda to develop slowly but she’s glad that that does not appear to be the case. 

\---  
She heads off to practice at the Orchestra during the day, leaves by five to pick up her girl and has the weekends off. 

The great thing is that she’s not the only single mother there (She’s probably the youngest, but she can deal with that.) They give her advise on how to deal with a child and some she stores away for future reference and others she drops immediately.  
\---  
Brenda’s birthday comes and goes, and Natalie comes over and gives her North Mythology story books, and Roman mythology story books. 

Cassie bakes a cake for Brenda (and by ‘bake’ she meant she found a box of cake mix and followed the instructions- she has a few recipes that her mother taught her before she died, but a cake sadly had not yet been one of them.) and has Brenda blow out the candles. After they sing a rather loud and obnoxious rendition of “Happy Birthday.”  
\--  
It's not long after before she starts walking, and it wasn't slow either one minute she's crawling next minute she's running all over the house. Brenda is happy, and is on the phone with Natalie excitedly squealing for several hours. 

They spend a year practicing and rehearsing perfecting their technique, until they were slated to play in Carnegie hall for an entire year. 

Cassie calls Natalie immediately, and told her the news, and she stated that she would take a week off from college head down to New York to watch Cassie play. 

When Cassie warns her of the cost of the ticket she scoffs, reminds her that she lives in a Mansion and can probably afford the tickets.

“Alright” Cassie says. “I’ll also buy a ticket for Brenda mind taking her too?”

“NO” Natalie says. “I love the little munchkin”

Cassie rolls her eyes. “See you in a week then” 

Her baby is a year ¾ old by this point, and she is sitting up by herself and is no longer breastfeeding, or taking formula, but instead is taking regular milk. She can say several works, like momma, Tally (short for Natalie) ball, nana (short for banana), baba (short for bottle), food. Along with a few others. 

She goes to her daughter who’s sitting in her highchair squishing her banana to a pulp. Her mouth is full of pudding. 

“Oh sweetie” She laughs taking her baby in her arms. “Your so messy” 

“Messy!” Her baby cries. 

“Yes” Cassie says. “Messy, I think you need a wash”

“No!” She cries squirming out of her mother’s grip. 

“Yes” 

“No”

“Yes!”

She starts the bath and places her baby in the small portable tub. Checks the heat with her elbow and places the baby inside. 

She’s careful with the baby, she remembers back when Brenda was only a few weeks old and could barley lift her head how she was scared she would drown her baby, how Mrs. Chase was so calm and collected as she taught Cassie how to bathe her baby properly. 

She thinks of her work and how lonely it is raising a child by herself and thinks of Dante and Natalie and she wishes she had someone else, a father for Brenda. A father who is so unlike her own, one who was kind and generous. 

But who is she kidding? Who would want to help raise a child who isn’t theirs? 

Not only that, but she needs help, she's not stupid to think she can take on the whole army if she's found, she needs protection. Now. 

Maybe not someone who will stay though that would be ideal, but perhaps give her enough time...

And what? A god would leave her the _second_ they found out who and what she was. Her child is of North Mythology and she has no way to contact Tyr. The Greeks and Romans would not stay around...

She blinks _woah_ , as she pulls Brenda out of the tub why was she thinking of _gods_? 

_It is logical_ Her mind supplied, _a god could protect you, in a way a human couldn't, and besides you got one who's to say you couldn't get another?_

 __It's stupid, and honestly it makes her disgusted, but she knows she can't stay hidden from her father for long. She was too young with Tyr, to stupid not to ask for his help, but... with Brenda... with how different she is, she's not just a demigod, but a demigod from a completely different mythology... if her father were to find her and if he found out that Brenda was a Norse demigod.

The thought frightens her, and Brenda starts to cry as she accidently tights her hold on her baby. She hugs her baby tightly, her throat seems to be closing in on her. 

She can't breathe, she's frightened and scared. If her father found out about Brenda, forget about Julia Claudia he'd go straight after Brenda, something odd and exotic. 

She can't let her father get his hands on Brenda. She can't. 

But there has to be a way that doesn't force her to use people like that. Use _gods_ like that. 

She shakes her head. How is she even going to find one anyway? This is stupid. 

Still though the thought lingers in the back of her mind.  

\---  
Natalie is there the first night. She sees Brenda and Natalie in the middle row, Brenda bouncing in Natalie’s lap with Mr. and Mrs. Chase beside them. As the concert plays Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, every single moment of it. 

She loves the Spring Concerto, it feels warm and lively. The music feels like dryads dancing through the blossoming. Wing blowing, as storms come. Rain drops falling in April. Soft wind against one’s cheek. 

That portion of the music ends and there’s clapping, but the truth is we are barely half way through Spring. 

The next part is soft and slow, calm like the middle of March, grey and simple, with an undertone of something grander coming, this song always makes her cry like something is ending, though she supposes something, spring always comes at the end of winter after all. 

Then the music shifts to something slightly more upbeat yet somehow still melancholy. Her arms only starting to tire but she’s far to into the music to care.   

The Music Shifts to Summer.

The music is soft and almost lazy like someone is lying down in the sun. 

Then suddenly it goes fast, and she starts to think about her brother and how she and he would race in the summer playing together before things got complicated, before…

The, music slows, and she remembers her mothers lap outside shaded by a laurel tree. 

Dancing in the garden, playing in the field. Running from Dante as he chased her, laughing and kisses. 

Sitting alone in her room after her mother and Dante’s death alone and confused. 

Dante’s death, her mother and father screaming at each other, the heart break that came when her mother died. 

The audience cheers again, but she’s to lost in her memories and the music to notice. 

Soft and easy calm, at easy theirs’s nothing to worry about. 

Then moments of fear and excitement before the calm and laziness is back. She tries to get the picture of her mother’s lap and it’s there and she’s calm. But it’s inter woven with moments where theirs pain and fear.  

The music guides her thoughts and the music goes through moments of calm before then moments of excitement. 

The music seems to grow dark, like a summer storm, thunder cracking, and rain falling and the wind is roaring and she’s hiding under the covers of her mom’s bed, and she’s singing to drown out the sounds of the storm outside. 

So many ghosts dance around her as the music plays on. Her mother holding her tightly to protect her, her father pulling her out into the rain and Dante as always by her side.

Autumn is a lot more upbeat then a song about the summer ending probably has any right to be, but there’s a tranquility to it. Somethings ending, but the leaves are so colorful, that it makes you forget that it’s about to be cold. 

And this music reminds her of that. Of how music can help make her believe everything is ok, even when it’s not, just like Autumn can. 

The music is playing in the leaves, watching the changing leaves fall to the ground, it’s a walk a run a dance in a clear autumn day. 

It’s calm and simple. Upbeat and happy.

Until the music becomes calm and melancholy as though it knows the calm weather cannot stay, and for a moment the song makes her feel uneasy and a sense of foreboding fills her soul though Cassie is not exactly sure why.

The sense goes away as the, music becomes more upbeat and ends beginning the next movement.

She looks to the crowd for Brenda and Natalie and she smiles when she sees them, she gives a quick little wave before the music starts up again.

Slow and calm melancholy, like something is ending, and it wants to be dragged out as long as possible. She remembers the last night she had with Dante, how she was scared, and she wanted to drag the night on as long as possible wanting it to never end. 

Suddenly she’s dancing, it’s a happier memory that she has of her father, he’s twirling her around in the ball room, she’s nine years old and her mother and Julius are dancing nearby. She is standing on her father’s feet as he twirls her around and he doesn’t once complain. 

It’s a nice memory she has, a memory that she had once long forgotten. 

Funny the memories that can pop up when music’s involved isn’t it?

The last one is Winter 

It’s anticipation, she sees herself waiting for the sword to be swung, for the phone call, for the birth of her baby, it could be bad or good, but she’s worried all the same. 

She remembers watching the clouds roll in as the snow comes in. 

It was snowing the last time her mother died too, running down the hallways, before hearing that her mother is dead. 

The snow is lightly falling but gets faster and faster and faster. 

She’s dancing with Dante, with her father but there’s a sense of foreboding now, as though she knows what’s coming, (she does of course she does)

She’s playing in the snow now; the weather is calm cold but calm. She’s making snow angels in the garden next to the palace. Her mom calls Julia, her precious little angel. She’s drinking hot cocoa that the servants made for her and sitting by the fire place watching the flames flicker.

She’s crying, on her bed, a servant comes in trying to talk to her. She doesn’t want to listen she pushes him away, but he was sent she begs him to leave.

She’s alone. She’s crying in her bed, the snow falling gently outside. 

Suddenly she’s running hoping not get caught, she can feel her father catching up to her. She’s almost to the door when... 

The music ends and she's startled for a moment when she hears lapping and she’s taking out of her thoughts, she along with the other members of the orchestra stand and bow before leaving and heading behind the stage. Just as the host is announcing that there'll be a half an hour intermission before the rest of the performance takes place. 

She takes that time to carefully put her violin back in the case, and heads down to the lobby where she can see Nathalie holding Brenda. 

"Hey!" She says taking Brenda in her arms. "Hey sweetie pie how's mommy's principessa?"

"A lot more quiet, I would take her out when I noticed she was getting a bit fussy" Natalie said. "Gave her a bottle around twenty minutes ago" 

"Good, good, this thing has another hour or so, and honestly feel free to take her home if she gets tired, it's fine" She says bouncing her baby girl in her arms. Giving the girl a kiss on the forehead. "I love you so much little one"

"Excuse me" A deep voice says from behind her. 

Cassie turns around and stares up at the man, nearly drops her jaw in shock. 

The man in front of her is handsome, inhumanly handsome, hair so blond it's almost gold, eyes that shine like the sun, the suit he's wearing shows off every muscle he has, he has one hand in his pocket the other hanging lazily at his side. His smile is charming but slightly arrogant as though he's a little to used to getting what he wants. The suit he's wearing is not made from cheap fabric, she can tell that immediately, it's made from the same fabric her father wore when he had meetings with the other members of the triumvirate. 

but that's not what drops her jaw. 

What drops her jaw is that fact that the man is glowing faintly. So faintly that had she not been clear sighted she wouldn't have noticed, but he is, there's a faint glow of gold emanating from that man. On his jacket there's a pin of a stylized sun with an arrow through it. 

 So a Greek gods noticed her, and from the looks of it, it wasn't any greek god, it was Apollo. 

She can't tell if she's relieved, excited or terrified.   
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	9. Apollo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julia meets and talks with Apollo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last time she was with a god, she was hesitant and nervous and untrusting, now she's doing this in the hopes of being better protected. 
> 
>  
> 
> [Previous](https://puellapulchra100.deviantart.com/art/Emperor-s-Daughter-Ch-8-Added-several-scenes-734418127)
> 
>  
> 
> Next Coming soon!

“Cassandra Romano” She must admit she likes the way her name sounds on his lips. 

“Yes?” She’s holding Brenda in her arms Apollo eyes the baby before he turns his attention to Cassie.

“How did you know?” He asks. 

“Most humans don’t give off a golden aura.”

Apollo smiles and raises an eyebrow. “Clearsighted. Interesting”

Cassie blushes and pushes a strand of hair behind her ear. “I suppose so,” In her arms Brenda starts to cry. 

“Maybe it’s time to give her back to her mother.” 

Cassie eyes him critically. “She already is.”

Apollo looks to where he sees Natalie mingling. “Oh! I thought…”

“Natalie is a friend” Cassie cuts in before this can get any awkward then it already is. “She saved me the cost of a baby sitter for tonight. Is there something else, Apollo?”

Apollo tilts his head in interest. “Huh, interesting what makes you say I’m Apollo”

She points to the pin on his chest. 

“Huh, that’s the sum total of your assumption?” Apollo says pulling off the pin. “A golden aura and a pin”

“and hope, you were my favorite as a child.” Cassie cuts in. In between the snide comments about father made about you anyway. Still it was true, her mother used to read her a small copy of myths, and the ones that were Cassie’s favorite always had Apollo in there somewhere. Though she couldn’t help but remember the snide comments her father and his associates always made. 

Especially Commodus.  Zeus how she despised that man. 

Apollo looked impressed. “Can’t fault you for having nice taste.”

Cassie laughed. Brenda yawned and started to fall asleep against her shoulder. “I should probably head home” Cassie said reluctantly. “Little one deserves to sleep in her crib.”

“I never slept in a crib” Apollo says, Cassie eyes him. “Or dated a woman who already had a child by someone else.”

“You aged rapidly from what I heard, fought Python at four days old.” She says softly. “All because the monster dared to attack your mother.” 

She can feel the interest turn to anger. 

“I admire that” Cassie says quickly. “It’s… admirable” 

Not even with Tyr was she this tongue tied. What in hades is wrong with her? The last time she was this tongue tied was with… 

“You are aware that you just used the same word twice, in the exact same sentence?” Apollo sounds both amused and disgusted. 

He’s a god, cater to his ego. 

“Yes well, being in such a presence as yours can you blame me for being a little tongue tied?”

Apollo laughs, it’s low and booming and she can easily imagine him singing in the opera, from the eighteen hundred. It’s so infectious that she can’t help but get lost in the sound. 

They pass by Natalie, and she gives her friend a quick sign that let’s her know she’s taking the girl home. Natalie flashes her own that tells her she’ll be join her out quickly.

“Is there something else you wish?” Cassie has just reached her car and Brenda is asleep on her shoulder. 

“I’d love for you to give me a private show” Apollo says. And the way he’s looking at her reminds her of the times Tyr looked at her right before they… 

She knows he wants more then her music. 

Her smile turns coy. “And what would I get in return?” 

“What do you want?”

She looks in her car. “There is something I need…” She’s placing Brenda into her car seat and locking her in place. “But’s I do not wish to burden you, with the needs of a mortal girl” The words taste odd on her tongue. Her father is immortal now, but she has no idea how much of his physiology is changed because of that. 

“My dear, I am a god there is nothing you could ask for that would burden me”

Gotcha

“Well, I suppose we shall have to see about that won’t we? Unfortunately I don’t discuss payments on street corners” She enters her car.  Apollo stares at her for a long moment before he disappears. 

She’s waiting perhaps a few minutes before Natalie makes an appearance. 

“Who was that?” Natalie asks. “You two seemed pretty interested in each other.”

“Another god, probably Greek, though his roman name is the same in Rome and Greece.” 

“Who?”

Cassie smirks. “Apollo”  
\---    

“This seems so wrong, Cassie” Natalie says on the phone. “Are you sure about this?” 

“No, but… I need to think about Brenda, she and I need all the protection I can get”

“Are you sure this is about Brenda, and not about…”

“What me?” Cassie says. “If that were the case I would have worked harder at keeping Tyr around, I can take care of myself, taking care of myself and a baby is a lot harder, I can just run at the drop of a hat.”

“And you just realised that now”

“Natalie…” 

She can hear Natalie sighing on the other end. “I’m worried about you, I’ve done research on this particular god, he’s not overly nice.”

“I know, I grew up with these myths, but he’s loyal, and… I need that”

“Did you even read Coronis’s myth?” Natalie asks worriedly. “He has his sister kill her when he finds out she was cheating on him.”

“Good thing I’m not planning on doing that”

“This is serious” 

“I am being serious, I know Apollo and I aren’t going to last, I need this, I need to know that I won’t be found. I need to be protected.”

“The why not tell him the truth?”

That was the question of the year wasn’t it? Tell Apollo the truth, tell him that three of the worst emperor’s in history were alive and doing there best to take over the world.

“I tried, no one listened.” Cassie says. “And if I told him, I was the daughter of him, I would be abandoned, my father was a horrible man, when he was mortal, I’d be dead within minutes.”

Natalie says nothing. “Just be careful, I don’t want my next trip to be your funeral.”  
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	10. Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassie's pride gets the best of her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previous: [puellapulchra100.deviantart.co…](https://puellapulchra100.deviantart.com/art/Emperor-s-Daughter-Ch-9-734969295)
> 
> Next: [puellapulchra100.deviantart.co…](https://puellapulchra100.deviantart.com/art/Emperor-s-Daughter-Chapter-11-735084935)?

“This seems so wrong, Cassie” Natalie says on the phone. “Are you sure about this?” 

“No, but… I need to think about Brenda, she and I need all the protection I can get”

“Are you sure this is about Brenda, and not about…”

“What me?” Cassie says. “If that were the case I would have worked harder at keeping Tyr around, I can take care of myself, taking care of myself and a baby is a lot harder, I can't just run at the drop of a hat.”

“And you just realised that now?” Natalie asks. Cassie can almost see Natalie raising an eyebrow.

Cassie sighs “Natalie…” 

She can hear Natalie sighing on the other end. “I’m worried about you, I’ve done research on this particular god, he’s not overly nice.”

“I know, I grew up with these myths, but he’s loyal, and… I need that.”

“Did you even read Coronis’s myth?” Natalie asks worriedly. “He has his sister kill her when he finds out she was cheating on him.”

“Good thing I’m not planning on doing that.” Cassie can't help the slight sarcasm that comes into her voice. 

She can just imagine Natalie rolling her eyes. “This is serious” 

“I am being serious, I know Apollo and I aren’t going to last, I need this, I need to know that I won’t be found. I need to be protected.”

“The why not tell him the truth?”

That was the question of the year wasn’t it? Tell Apollo the truth, tell him that three of the worst emperor’s in history were alive and doing there best to take over the world.

“I tried that before, no one listened.” Cassie says. “And if I told him, I was the daughter of him, I would be abandoned, my father was a horrible man, when he was mortal, I’d be dead within minutes.”

Natalie says nothing for a long while. “Just be careful, I don’t want my next trip to new york to be your funeral.”  
\---  
“My protection?” Apollo asks. “From what?”

“Maybe nothing, maybe everything, I’m not even sure the man is looking for me…”

“Man?”

“My father, I escaped from home a few years ago, I haven’t seen him since, but with the birth of my child, running and hiding has suddenly become a lot harder.”

Apollo looks at her. “How bad was he?” 

She swallows and turns around, she’s never shown anyone her scars. When she was with Tyr they were only together that one night and she always made sure he never saw her back. But she needs Apollo to take her seriously. 

She takes off her shirt and turns around. She hears a sharp intake of breath and his cool fingers tracing the scared tissue on her back. 

“And you don’t wish him dead”

“He’s my father” 

“I understand” Apollo says. “I do, and you have it, your father will never find you while you’re here.”  
\---  
For six months everything is nice, and easy, she’s able to find a sitter every single time they go out, or she needs to rehearse, or she has a recitle. 

She moves out of the one room apartment into a bigger two room apartment so Brenda can sleep in her own bedroom. IT’s bigger and better, and still in the same building, so not much has to change. 

(She’s ninety five percent sure that the baby sitter is in no way human, but she’s always kind with the baby, handles Brenda like a pro, is never to rough or to hard, and takes everything Cassie says to heart, so after the first night where Apollo swears on the Styx that she has nothing to fear, and she comes back and Brenda is happy, and laughing and with no fewer scratches than when she left, she finds herself almost breathe a sigh of relief)

(A month later she finds out that it’s one of the muses)

(Euterpe, muse of song and music)

For six months it’s easy and simple. Apollo is gentle and kind and is nothing like Natalie feared. 

(HE can be a tad selfish, but then again so can she, so she deals)

(even when him talking about all his great exploits can get old)

(She can only handle hearing about his defeat of Python so many times)

Everything is going great.

Until Brenda’s second birthday. 

\---

“Happy Birthday Brenda!”  Natalie, Cassie, sing to Brenda. Brenda giggles and blows out her candles. 

“Do you want some cake, Brenda?” Cassie asks as she holds the knife in her hand. 

“Cake!” She reaches out to take a handful of cake, but Natalie pulls the cake out of her reach and she places in the middle of the table away from Brenda’s highchair. 

“Cake!” Brenda says. 

“Wait a minute, little fighter” She says bopping Brenda on the nose. “We’re cutting you a piece”

“A piece” Brenda echoes. 

“That’s right” She says cutting a triangular piece out and placing it on a small plastic plate, “There you go sweetie.” 

She looks up and sees Apollo leaning against a wall she smiles at him. His lips quirk up and her face heats up. 

Natalie rolls her eyes. 

The pendent on Cassie’s neck glows slightly. It was a cloaking device allowing her to hide away only from the people that she herself didn’t want to see. (Cassie been so thrilled she had taken him to be and hadn’t actually slept until past four in the morning.) 

Brenda nearly inhales her cake and Cassie can’t help but chuckle at her daughters antics. She asks Apollo I he wants any, but he denies, saying that Nectar is better then anything mere humans could come up with. 

(That hurts, since she spent months learning how to bake, but she lets it go.)

“Ass” Natalie mutters under her breath. 

“Hush, he’s honest”

“He’s an ass” 

Cassie nods along. “That too” Natalie and she chuckle along. 

Pretty soon it’s time for presents and Natalie hands Brenda a present. Brenda rips the paper apart until she sees the stuffed toy

It’s a stuffed likeness of Brenda’s father Tyr. He’s missing a hand, and there are runes stitched into his armor. 

“I asked my brother for help” Natalie whispers. “He helped me with the small intricate designs to make it seem more real, the rune is tiwaz, named for Tyr. And you said he had dark skin like Brenda so… 

“Randolph? You went to Randolph willingly?” Cassie asked amused. "Should I be worried about a camera hidden in the toy?"

Natalie nudges her away. 

Cassie hands Brenda her own gift. It’s wrapped in golden paper and like with Natalie she rips the paper apart, and it reveals a small little drum kit. 

Brenda immediately starts whacking away not with the drum sticks but with the stuffed Tyr doll in her hand. 

Apollo then comes up and delivers his gift he kisses her forehead. “Gift of music” He whispers to the little one. 

Brenda’s rhythm gets a little better but’s it’s obvious she still needs a little more practice. 

\---  
Natalie get’s a call shortly after the exchange of gifts. Her parents were in horrible car accident and are in the hospital. 

Natalie apologizes over a thousand times, but Cassie understands and Natalie leaves in a whirl of tears and painful apologies. 

\---  
“I hope they’ll be ok” Cassie says as she’s cleaning up the house. It’s six and Brenda had forgone her nape for the day so she’s taking one now in her playpen. 

“Who’s her father?”  Apollo asks.

“Natalie?” She asks. “A mortal from Boston, why?” 

Apollo rolls his eyes. “Brenda’s.” 

“Really?” Cassie asks. “My best friends parents are in a hospital and you want to ask me this now?”

Apollo nods solemnly. “Who is he”

“Why? Why now.” Cassie asks crossing her arms.

“You’re not Norse” Apollo says. “You’re Italian, and are part of a roman legacy you told me that yourself. Natalie gave your daughter a doll depicting a god from Norse mythology, why?”

Cassie looks away suddenly defensive. “You knew I was with other men” 

“I didn’t know you were with other gods, Cassie.” 

“Does it matter?”

“It matters to me.” Apollo said

“It shouldn’t” Cassie mutters under her breath.

“And why is that?” Apollo asks testily.

Cassie's self-control snaps. “Because It has nothing to do with you.” Cassie slaps a hand to her mouth and for a moment everything is so silent they could hear a pin drop.

Apollo’s eyes widened. “Oh” He says. “I see how it is” 

“Apollo…”

“No, I date you, I take care of you, but in the end, I don’t matter.” Apollo said stepping away. “I get it.”

“That’s not what I-”

“Isn’t it though?” Apollo said. “I want you out of New York”

Cassie stops feeling as though she has whiplash. “What?”

“I want you to leave New York” Apollo says darkly. “You and your daughter, leave and don’t you ever come back.”

Cassie is a proud girl, and a lot like her father. She doesn’t beg, she doesn’t apologize, she stays stock still and for a long moment she refuses to bend. 

Apollo glares at her darkly. 

She takes off her necklace, and throws it on the bed. “Good bye Apollo.”

He doesn’t take the charm. He looks at her for a long moment. “I give you one month, and then I want you out.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Don’t test me Cassie,” He says before he disappears. 

Never had the name Cassie sounded so false to her ears. She almost tells him her birthname. 

But before she can decide...

Apollo is gone.  
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	11. Funeral

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys remember what's in Texas?
> 
> [Previous](https://puellapulchra100.deviantart.com/art/Emperor-s-Daughter-Chapter-10-735000970) 
> 
> Next Chapter: [puellapulchra100.deviantart.co…](https://puellapulchra100.deviantart.com/art/Emperor-s-Daughter-Ch-12-735163637)

She receives the call next morning. Mr. And Mrs. Chase are dead.  

“It’s fine” Natalie says. “You don’t have to come.”

“Are you kidding?”  Cassie says. “When I was pregnant scared and needed someone to rely on, you helped me out, I’m not leaving you alone”

“I’m not alone…”

“Fair enough you have your brothers” Cassie says. “Besides I liked Mrs. Chase, I… I want my chance to say my final goodbyes as well.”

“What about…”

“Your family was practically my family nothing is more important then that” Cassie said then she stopped. “Unless you don’t want me there?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, of course I do” 

“I’ll be there, we’ll be there.”  
\---      
The drive there is long and tedious, and she has to stop every couple of hours, so she can cater to Brenda’s needs, not that she minds. It’s not Brenda’s fault she’s two years old. 

The drive let’s her contemplate, the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Chase. She was closer to Mrs. Chase then she was to Mr. Chase, but their deaths still filled Cassie with sadness.  
It wasn’t fair. Why did good people like the Chases have to be filled with so much hardships while people like her father got to dance around scot free?  
\--- 

Natalie meets her on the front porch of the mansion and hurries out to give her a huge hug. Tears are falling down her cheeks and Cassie can’t help but cry too. 

“They were good people” Cassie says. “They didn’t deserve this” 

“No, no they didn’t” Natalie says. 

Together they head into the house. 

\---  
The funeral is a somber affair, Cassie’s head is down low, as she’s trying not to cry. Brenda is on her lap, not crying just staring ahead. 

Cassie strokes her daughter dark curls. As the sermon goes on. 

Cassie was asked to play at the funeral, and she plays a piece that reminds her of every loss she’s ever felt, mixed in with a little bit of hope that she will see him again. 

When the funeral is over they head to the grave yard where they witness the burial. Cassie’s never seen a burial before and she finds it hard to watch as they pour dirt over the coffins where Mr. and Mrs. Chase are being buried. 

It’s Natalie who keeps her calm during the burial. 

\---  
“How’s Apollo” Cassie goes quiet. She is sucking on an apple slice and her daughter is eating a carrot on the couch close by. 

“Cassie?” 

“We had a fight, he dumped me.”

“So soon?” Natalie asked. “You two seemed fine a week ago…” 

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“But something happened” 

“He found out Brenda’s true parentage, and he got angry I never told him, he pushed for answers, I told him it was none of his business, and he kicked me out.”

“Of your apartment?”

“Of New York”

Natalie’s eyes widened. “What? He can’t just do that can he?”

“He’s an immortal being with unlimited power, trust me, he can not only do that, but he can do a lot worse.”

“That son of a whoring bastard”

“I don’t think…. His father is a bastard.”

Natalie raises an eyebrow. 

“I should have told him the truth, I didn’t and I now have to reap what I sow.” 

“What are you going to do now, are you going to move back to Boston?” 

She shrugs her shoulders. “I don’t know”  
\---  
She stays long enough for the will to be released, Fredrick as the oldest get’s the house, and Natalie and Randolph get 50% each of what was left in the bank account. 

She can tell Natalie is both pleased and a little put out. She has just enough to buy a small house in Boston. She insists that she doesn’t want to live in the house, but Cassie can tell that it weighs on her mind that her father and mother didn’t leave it to all three of them. 

Randolph barely has enough to finish his degree something that can be heard throughout the entire house the last two nights she’s staying there.  
\----  
She’s back home, and she resigns with the orchestra. 

And then everything goes to hades. 

She forgot her charm at her home, and she’s only 50% sure that this would have happened even if she had been wearing it. 

Nero found her. 

(She’d forgotten he lived in New York)

(And she hates herself for forgetting that fact for a year and a half)

“So, you’re, here are you?” Nero asks. He’s flanked on both sides by two guards. “Your father called a while ago, asking if I’ve seen you, said you’d been missing for some good two/three years. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw you at the recital, with a little child, I tried to find you a few days later, but it was almost as if you disappeared.”

Brenda’s in daycare.  She breathes slightly, she may be able to resolve this simply without much problems. 

“It does make me wonder, who’s little girl was in your arms that night, as you were chatting up that sun god?”

“A daughter of a friend” Cassie says. 

“Come now Julia” Cassie flinches at the use of the name she had long abandoned. “You don’t honestly expect me to be that stupid, do you?”

“The name is Cassie” She says. 

“Julia Claudia ties you to a great family, the Julio-Claudian Line. A great Line, a line of emperor’s, a line of _gods_ ”

“It’s a line full of _murderers_ ” 

“You’re letting modern history color your view” Nero rebukes. “That’s the thing when people damn your memory it allows people to say whatever they want about you.”

“Sounds horrible” Cassie says. 

Nero nods sagely. The sarcasm going over his head as per usual. 

Cassie steps away trying to move around him but Nero stepped closer fencing her in. “What’s the harm of one dinner?”

A lot, but she was surrounded by innocent people who could get hurt if she whipped out her imperial gold swords now. 

She’s led away and brought into his car.  

\---

“So, here’s my problem with you being in my city”

 _I know of at least on person who would take issue with that statement._ She thought to herself. 

“I tell your father you’re here, and he finds I’ve known you’ve been here for six months he’ll start a war in my city and I can’t have that.”

 _Cause you’re a coward_   Cassie thinks savagely. 

“I tell your father I just found you, and you tell your father you’ve actually been in my city longer then a few months, I’ll be considered blind and weak.”

“What’ do you want?”

“You leave my city and stay as far away as possible from my city, I’ll magically forget you were here, stay and I’ll go after the Chase girl.”

Cassie’s eyes widened. “You touch one hair on her head-”

“I’ll have her head, like your father had that boy I gave him.” Nero cut her off. “Such a cruel thing to do to a gift I gave him, think that’s part off the reason I didn’t tell him you were here.”

“Don’t delude yourself” Cassie snapped. “You fear my father, you wouldn’t go near him unless you absolutely needed to…” Her eyes lit up. “Of course, the decennial meeting is coming up, you can’t risk him finding out, can you?” The three members of the triumvirate had a meeting every decade or so to determine how to proceed for the next ten years. When she had been around twelve or thirteen the members had all reconvened at her dad's palace. 

She hadn't much cared for the other two emperor's then, she still doesn't care for them now.

Nero motioned with his hand and one of his guards had a hand at her throat pinning her down and had the other hand holding a sword ready to slice her neck open. 

Cassie activates her shield that’s hiding as a bracelet. It blocks the sword from reaching her neck and forces him to let go of throat. She brings up her foot and kicks him away. She pulls out her sword and takes her fighting stance.

“That desperate to lose a guard member my lord?” She asked. “He may kill me, but from this angle I can still stab him through the neck before I bleed out.”

“All these guards will willingly die for me” Nero said with a shrug. “Pull back, Vince”

Cassie stands her guard for a while longer before she straightens her back. She turns and stabs the second Germani right through the neck. Who was crouched in a position to attack her. He bleeds out right on the floor.

“Paul” Nero sighs pouting as though she just destroyed his favorite toy. “Such a waste, he was a good one.”

“You wanted him to kill me”

“Less messy, I can dispose of you more easily if you're dead.”

“You disgust me” Cassie says as her sword shrinks back into it’s hair clip and her shield shrinks back into a bracelet. “I leave town, and if you ever come near me and mine again, you better watch every single thing you drink from then on, you sniveling coward.”

“Such a waste, you could have been such a good guard.”

With that Cassie stands and walks out of Nero’s palace. 

\----  
“Are you ok?”

“After killing that guy? Yeah Germani guards are usually people who have escaped the underworld, so chances are I just offed that which was already gone, I’m fine” Now if only her hands can stop shaking. 

Natalie sighs. “Were will you head off now?”

“There is a state that my father always expressed distaste in, I’m hoping going there  will keep me out of father’s path.” 

Natalie sounds intrigued. “Oh yeah? Where’s that?”

“Texas.”  
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	12. Last Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "But she also doesn't want anger and resentment to be the last thing either of them remember of eachother so... she starts to sing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Previous](https://puellapulchra100.deviantart.com/art/Emperor-s-Daughter-Chapter-11-735084935)  
>  This story is coming to a close about two more chapters with apossible epilogue and I'll be done.

“Don’t wanna Move!” Brenda exclaims, she’s sitting on Cassie’s bed pulling all her clothes out of the bags. 

“I’m sorry mia combattante,” She says softly, “But we have too”  

“No, no, no” 

“Yes Brenda” She says softly. 

“No!” Brenda cries. “No, No, No”

She crawls onto the bed and holds her little girl tightly in her arms. “I know, I know you like it here” She says softly. “I do too, but I think in time you’ll see it was for the best.”

But Brenda is struggling in Cassie’s hold, and hitting her arms. Brenda is quite strong for her age, so Cassie knows she will have bruises in the morning. She pulls her daughter away. 

“Brenda, I know your angry and upset, but you do not hit mommy” She says sternly.  “Hitting hurts.”

Tears are falling down Brenda’s eyes, her cries start to get louder, and she instead of banging on Cassie’s arms starts to bang on the bed. Cassie let’s her, if she was Brenda’s age she probably would have started crying too. 

Cassie crawls behind Brenda and puts the little girl on her lap. “I know sweetie, I know.”

\---      
She places Brenda in the play pen, she would have let her sleep in her bed, but after all these years she’s still scared she’s going to accidently smother the baby if she accidently rolls over. 

She looks around the apartment. All their stuff is packed into little tiny boxes, the moving truck is coming by tomorrow at six, to take them to their new apartment in Dallas, and she starts her new job as a waitress, on Sunday.” 

She had auditioned for the orchestra in Texas, but they did not like her music, and besides a nine to five job would allow her to spend more time with her daughter something she was severely lacking before. 

She feels a warmth at her back and sighs. “I thought you never wanted to see me again.”

“I don’t” Apollo’s gruff voice announced. “I just want to make sure you’re not over staying your welcome.”

“No, Apollo” She sighs. “I’m leaving tomorrow as planned.” 

Apollo’s eyes seemed to almost glow in the dark as he takes her in. She stays still for a long moment before the intensity of his gaze dies down and he nods. “Good”

“I’m sorry” Cassie says the words burn in her throat, she’s proud, and arrogant, but she refuses to be like her father, and the only way she can even start to repair that damage is to apologize. 

Apollo says nothing, for a long time they just stand their, she’s tense and scared, she wraps her arms around her torso.

The fight on Brenda’s birthday was a long-time coming, she sees that, she knows that, she’s to secretive, and he’s far to arrogant. It was stupid to think either of them would last. 

But she also doesn't want anger and resentment to be the last thing either of them remember of eachother so... she starts to sing. 

“Tomorrow I'm gonna leave here  
I'm gonna let you go and walk away  
Like every day I said I would  
And tomorrow, I'm gonna listen  
To that voice of reason inside  
My head telling me that we're no good” She starts to sing. Apollo pauses and his eyes go wide. 

“But tonight, I'm gonna give in one last time  
Rock you strong in these arms of mine  
Forget all the regrets that are bound to follow  
We're like fire and gasoline  
I'm no good for you  
You're no good for me” Apollo sings softly and he walks over to her and they dance around the small room. It’s not forgiveness, but for now it’s a small reprieve in the darkness of the night. 

It’s dangerous, and so very stupid, but she’s scared and frightened, and she doesn’t want to be strong, she doesn’t want to be smart, she wants to be stupid and weak, she wants to spend her last night in New York in the night of someone she knows. 

“We’ll only bring each other tears and sorrow  
But tonight, I'm gonna love you  
Like there's no” Cassie whispers into Apollo’s ear. 

“Tomorrow I'll be stronger  
I'm not gonna break down and  
Call you up when my heart cries out for you  
And tomorrow, you won't believe it  
But when I pass your house  
I won't stop no matter how bad I want to” Apollo cuts her off and smiles, and for a moment she thinks she can see tears in his eyes, a life time of regret. She knows it would be wrong to think that their break up would be something he regrets but the thought is comforting non-the less.

“But tonight, I'm gonna give in one last time  
Rock you strong in these arms of mine  
Forget all the regrets that are bound to follow  
We're like fire and gasoline  
I'm no good for you, you're no good for me” Cassie wraps her arms around Apollo’s neck and the spin around slowly in place. He takes her hand and twirls her around as she sings. 

“We only bring each other tears and sorrow  
But tonight, I'm gonna love you  
Like there's no tomorrow” Apollo sings she loses himself in his voice, and tears fall down her face. 

“Oh, baby when we're good, you know we're great  
But there's too much bad for us to think,  
That there's anything worth trying to save” Cassie continues. The god and the mortal, it could never have worked out. She can’t help but remember when she used to laugh, when he was understanding, but she can also remember the anger and the resentment. 

“But tonight I'm gonna give in one last time  
Rock you strong in these arms of mine  
Forget all the regrets that are bound to follow  
We're like fire and gasoline  
I'm no good for you, you're no good for me  
We only bring each other tears and sorrow  
But tonight, I'm gonna love you like there's no” Apollo says and he lifts her off her feat and brings her the bed and he lies back. 

“Tomorrow, I'm gonna leave here  
I'm gonna let you go and walk away  
Like every day I said I would” Cassie whispers into Apollo’s ears before she kisses him. Tears falling down her cheeks. 

The next morning, Apollo is gone. 

When Cassie notices she does not cry, she gets up and prepares herself for the long road ahead.  
\---  
She was already in the process of changing her name when before she moved, but it still takes a while before she can get used to people calling her by her new name. Selina Maglieri

She brings herself to a salon and dyes her hair blonde but keeps her eyes green. 

\---  
She enrolls her daughter into a daycare, and she starts her job as a waitress, it’s easy in some ways, but it’s hard in others, some people speak to fast for her to place their orders. And on her first day she drops to trays, and the boss tells her sternly that lost food will be coming out of her paycheck. 

It’s frustrating, there are hundreds of costumers, and several of them are impossible to please. The pay is tiny, and she doesn’t get much in the way of tips because she’s knew and still starting out and well she sucks. 

But the hours are nice and honestly that’s the only thing keeping her going right now. 

At five o clock she almost breathes a sigh of relief. She clocks out takes home the few meager tips she managed to collect and goes to pick up her daughter from the daycare. 

She doesn’t have to practice, so she decides for fun to take her daughter to the playground nearby She takes her daughter on the swing set, and she swings Brenda up and down. 

“You’re swinging” She says to Brenda. 

“Swinging” Brenda echoes. She laughs as she goes up and down. She loves the sound of her daughters laugh.  

She takes Brenda to the slide and Brenda is not scared she is happy and she goes down the slides by herself. From what Cassie can tell 

They play for a few hours before she must take Brenda home, for dinner. 

\--- 

It’s a whole month before she realizes something is not right. 

A part of her is hoping that she’s wrong, but she’s late, and the only other time she was late was when she was pregnant with Brenda, so she goes to the nearest pharmacy and buys a pregnancy test. 

She tests it that night when Brenda is asleep and when the stick turns positive, she does not cry, she stands back up takes a deep breath and lets it out. 

“I did this once, I can do it again” She says before she leaves the bathroom. 

\--- 

Her boss isn’t all to pleased, but she’s not fired, and as long as she’s still taking home a paycheck she will endure all the yelling she needs too. 

She starts putting as much money as she into her savings, fortunately she still has a good amount of money from when she was in the orchestra, so she’s not to doomed, not yet.

\--- 

She’s been in Dallas all of 6 months, she’s showing pretty well, and she get’s looks from the neighbors whenever she goes to the nearby store. 

She’s picking up some groceries, when she meets him. 

She accidently barrels straight into him, she’s looking at the aisles looking for carrots, and doesn’t see him until after they’ve bumped carts. 

“I am so sorry” The man says. His skin is olive toned, and his eyes are a nice deep brown, his hair is short pretty short maybe an inch away from his scalp. “I didn’t see you there” He has a nice southern accent. 

“No, it’s my fault I didn’t see you either.” She says. 

“Cute kid” The man says. “She yours?” 

She smiles and nods. “Yeah.”

“Hey” He says bending down to talk to the baby. “What’s your name?”

“Brenda!” She announces. “I’m two!” She says holding up two fingers. 

“Big number” The man announces. “For a big girl.”

Brenda beams. 

He turns around and introduces himself. “I’m Johnny O’Hair, what’s yours mam?”

She smiles and holds out her hand. “Selina Maglieri.”  
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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The names aren't anything important


	13. Johnny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He's different from the other people she's dated

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Previous](https://puellapulchra100.deviantart.com/art/Emperor-s-Daughter-Ch-12-735163637)  
>  Next: Coming Soon
> 
> So this is probably the longest chapter I have submitted to this story. But IF I want everything to be wrapped up in the last two chapters than this chapter _had_ to be long.

Johnny walks her to her apartment building, and, he spends the entire time talking to Selina. He makes her laugh, and occasionally he directs a question to Brenda. Brenda was never one to act shy, so she answers every question that she can.

“Red!” She answers proudly when he asks Brenda, her favorite color. 

“She’s adorable” He insists. “You’re very lucky.”

She smiles grateful, “Thank you”  
“Who’s the Father?” He asks softly. 

She sighs. “Different from the one in my womb” She says. 

“Momma says she has a baby in her tummy” Brenda says patting Selina’s stomach. “And in 3 months I’ll get to meet the baby, momma says she’ll be my little sister, but that’s silly babies don’t belong in someone’s tummy, why would a baby be there?”

“I think that’s an answer for another day” He tells the little girl. 

Brenda seems to pout. “Momma never answer that question either!” She says annoyed. 

“Because you’re to young piccola” She tells Brenda. 

“I’m not piccolo, I’m grande!” She says holding her hands wide apart. 

Johnny can’t help but laugh. 

“You’re of no help” She mutters to Johnny.  She stops at the apartment building, the store wasn’t that far, so she saw no need to take her car. 

“Thanks for the walk.” She says, before she pulls Brenda inside. 

“I liked it, I was wondering… could I give you my number?” Johnny asks. 

Selina stops and stares at Johnny. He’s not a god, he’s (as far as she can tell anyway) human, he’s kind. He seems interesting. 

To be honest she’s quite interested in getting to know him better. 

She smiles. “Sure”  
\---    

Other men when they realise she has a child, and another on the way. Don’t want to look at her. When they realise that the two children are by two completely different people they get a look of disgust in their eyes. 

Johnny doesn’t do that. He tries to be understanding. He listens when everything gets hectic, when the fear that she’s going to fail gets to much. He makes her laugh. 

He can play the guitar and it always seems to have this type of magic over her and is able to calm her down within a matter of seconds.  

Brenda warms up to him quickly, she likes his stories, of Egyptian mythology. Of Ra, and Apophis of Horus, Osiris and Set. 

Brenda’s enraptured, and Selina allows him to tell the stories. 

“Any truth to the tales?” She asks him. After he’s had dinner at her house, and she’s putting the dishes in the sink. 

“There’s truth to every story told” She smiles. 

“You’re being purposefully evasive” She complains. “Do you believe the myths you tell are real.”

“Do you believe the Greek and Roman myths are real? The Norse?” 

She stares at him for a moment, her heart beating far to fast. “What do you know about me?” 

“That you’re a single mother of two half siblings” He says. “Not much outside of that” 

Brenda’s running around in the living room. Pretending she’s an airplane. 

“Brenda be careful sweetie.”

Brenda stops and pouts but then she starts banging on her little drum set. 

“Think you should give her lessons?” Johnny asks covering his ears. 

“Oh probably” Selina says. “Maybe when she’s older and can sit still long enough to be actually taught.”

\---  
Callie Maglieri is born in a hospital like the one that Brenda was born in. 

Natalie came in running, drove over night to see the beautiful girl being born.  She has blond fuzz growing out her head. She’s tiny the size of her hand. 

Her cries are beautiful, and she knows that people will crowd from all over to her voice. She does not stop crying until she’s placed in her mother’s arms. 

“Hey Callie” She whispers to the little girl. “You’re so cute.” 

“She’s so beautiful” Natalie gushes. “Can I hold my niece” 

Selina nods she hands the baby over to Natalie while Brenda jumps on Selina’s lap. 

“Was I that pretty?” She asks. 

“Of course, all babies are pretty in their mother’s eyes.”

Brenda smiles and leans against her mother’s chest.  
\---  
Johnny comes by a couple of weeks later. Arms filled to the brim with toys. 

“We’ve only known each other a couple of months” She says surprised. “You didn’t have to do this”

“Yeah, well with taking care of Brenda, and work, I figured you hadn’t had time to get little Callie any toys.”

“You’re too much Johnny” She says. 

"Nonsense you're kid deserves the best" He says. "I'm happy to help."

"Seriously how did you even afford this."

"I have my ways." Johnny says with a smile.  
\---- 

Brenda’s Birthday comes and Natalie drives all the way up as per usual to help celebrate. She seems to take a special liking to Johnny. 

He can make everyone calm. So, she’s not surprised that Natalie takes a liking to him.  He has a fascination with Greek Mythology, so she’s not surprised when their wrapped in a discussion of different mythologies.  With Selina occasionally throwing in a quip on Roman mythologies.

He gives Brenda a gift, a fake wooden toy sword. She starts lashing it around the house. She takes it away from Brenda, when she nearly breaks a lamp. 

“Not now, Brenda” 

“But I’m your wittle fighter” Brenda says with a pout. 

“You are, and you can practice fighting with this sword when you’re not near your younger sister.” She says with a half glance at Johnny. 

“I read that Brenda in some regions means Sword, I took a guess” He says sheepishly. “Too soon?”

Selina rolls her eyes. 

Natalie gives Brenda a box full of Legos. 

Selina gives Brenda an new book full of Norse Myths that has more myths then her old story book. 

\--- 

Neither of them asks each other if they are dating, if they want to start dating, it’s a lot more gradual then that. 

Most of the time when Johnny and she go anywhere, they take the kids along.  So, she never actually considers it a date. 

They hang out at the zoo, Callie is hanging from her pouch. Brenda adores the gorillas. She laughs at there growling and their calls.  Though Callie seems terrified. Callie herself has a fascination with swans. 

Selina is holding tightly to Johnny’s hand. She hears people cooing at the adorable couple and their kids. A few even say that their kids are adorable. Johnny places and arm around her shoulders. Selina corrects them at first but then decides that it isn’t worth the effort. 

“Sorry about all that” She says.

Johnny shrugs. “Being considered the father of your kids is probably the second-best thing”

Selina laughs. “OH yeah, What’s the first?” 

“Being their father” 

Selina looks at Johnny in surprise. Half expecting to laugh and state he’s joking, but he’s being honest. It’s the first time they kiss. 

\--- 

It’s late at night and they are still up talking, it’s Saturday and Selina don’t have to be at work and they’re just sitting by talking. 

“What do you like to do?” Johnny asks. “I mean besides taking care of Brenda and Callie.”

“Hey, I adore my kids” Selina argues, but she sighs. “I played the violin, and I’ve sung on occasion.”

Johnny whistles. “Nice, how are you on the violin”

“I once played in an Orchestra, The New York Orchestra.” She says by way of explanation. 

“How old are you?” he asks as though he can’t believe it. 

“23” She says. 

“Wow” Johnny says. “Were the hours too awkward?” He says. “With taking care of Brenda, and Callie on the way?”

“I auditioned for an orchestra here” She says taking a sip of tea. “Turned down, but after I was turned down I realized that the hours would have been awkward, so I applied for a waitressing job and I got it.”

“How’d you get into the orchestra?”

“I used to be a street performer in Boston, and a scout from New York-” 

“Your making that up.” Johnny said. “You were a street performer in Boston?” 

“Are you going to let me finish?” Silena says. Johnny raises a hand and leans back to let her finish. 

“Anyway, a scout from New York said I sounded too good to be playing on the street, and he gave a card and said that the New York Orchestra was looking for violin players. I auditioned, and I got the part, and so I moved to New York, where I eventually met Callie’s father.”

“What led you to move here” Silena goes silent. Johnny waits and eventually she looks up. 

“Can we talk about that later?” She asks, pleading with him slightly. “I… I don’t want to talk about it.”

Johnny nods in understanding.  

She knows she can’t keep this up forever, but… she can’t tell him about the mythological side of herself. Not yet. 

\--- 

Johnny and Silena have known each other a year, when he reveals his big secret. 

He’s a magician of the house of life.  He’s an Egyptian magician.

Because of course he is. She can’t have one ordinary boyfriend, can she? No, they all must be related to some kind of mythology. All have to be some kind of supernatural being don’t they? 

She’s not even mad at Johnny she’s mad, at herself for not seeing it sooner. 

\---  
She doesn’t talk to him for days after the reveal, and Johnny gives her the space to deal with the news. After making sure she won’t tell anyone. 

She insists  to tell Natalie, that Natalie has kept so many of her secrets she won’t reveal this one, and Johnny must have seen something on her face because he relents rather quickly to her surprise. 

On the one hand this could be everything she’s wanted. This could be the protection she was looking for, from her father from everything. 

Truth is she’s just so blind sided every other magical being she’s dated she knew was immortal before they started dating. 

This throws her for a loop. 

“So what’s the problem?” Natalie asks. “Does this in anyway change him?” 

“Makes a few things make a bit more sense but otherwise… no.”

“Then…?”

Silena sighs. “He told me his secret, I… I don’t know if I’m ready to tell him mine.”

“You told me yours” Natalie argues. 

“I was hoping you would run away in terror” Silena says dryly. “I actually want this guy to stay, also he’s Egyptian, I’m Roman, Egypt and Rome do not have a good history.”

“So, the worst that could happen is that he leaves you, after all your other boyfriends him leaving should be easy for you.” 

“You’re not helping.”

Natalie sighs. “You want some good news?” 

“Yeah?”

“I’m seeing someone, and so is Fredrick”

Her eyes widened. “Oh yeah? Who?”

“Frey”

“Frey… as in the Norse god Frey?”

“Yep” 

“As in lord of Alfheim Frey, as in god of summer, Frey” 

“Yep” 

She rubs her forehead. “Well shitake mushrooms” She says with a half glance at Brenda who’s quiet looking over the mythology story book she recently got for her birthday. Callie is sleeping in her car seat. 

“Wait until I tell who Fredrick is seeing” 

“Who?” 

“Athena” 

“The Virgin Goddess?” 

“At least we know an unexpected child can’t appear from that union”

“Well she and Hephaestus had a child together through a napkin so… anything’s possible.”

Brenda looks up curiously but Silena gives her a kiss. “Later”

“Oh yeah” Natalie says with a chuckle. “I forgot about that.”

“Let me know how it goes.”

\---  
She agonizes for days over how and what to tell him, when it comes to her. 

She doesn’t want him to stay for some misconception version of her, she wants him to stay for the real her. For the real Brenda and the real Callie, and if he can’t handle her then… she needs to move on. 

\---  
“Johnny?”

“Yeah?” 

“Can you come over tonight? Around nine or so after the kids are put down? You and I, we need to talk.”

“Are you dumping me?”

Silena smiles against the phone bitterly. “No, but if we’re going to give this a try, there are things about me, I want you to know, things you need to know, about my past, about Brenda and Callie’s fathers.”

Johnny stays quiet for a long time. “I’ll be over.”

\---  
He comes over, and she talks, she tells him everything, of her father, of her mother of her first love, of her move to Boston and meeting Tyr, all the way to New York and her move to Dallas.

She stays silent once she’s finished and waits for him to say something anything.

He takes her in his arms, and she releases a breath she didn’t even know she was holding and she can feel herself letting out several years worth of tears. She breaks down crying on his lap at first trying to keep as quiet as possible so as not to wake the kids, but Johnny whispers an Egyptian word that she must assume means along the lines of ‘muffled’ or ‘quiet’ and she lets herself cry as loud as possible. Holding nothing back. 

Johnny just holds her tightly as she cries herself to sleep. 

\---  
Now that they know each other’s secrets, Johnny starts to be more free with his past. She finds out he started training and learning at the age of 6, in ancient Egypt. She learns that his preferred form of magic is music (Something that pleases her immensely) but he’s also quite proficient in certain elements. Like water and fire. And Hieroglyph magic. 

She tells him about her childhood, about her first love, about how her mother used to play the violin, about her twin. About her siblings. About the good times in her life, about…

About her first love. 

Not in an overbearing way, not in a flyby way, but in a ‘it’s good to get this off my chest way’ 

It’s nice. 

He tells her of his dreams, of how he loves being a magician of the highs and lows of being one. Of how he hated the constant practice, but how he likes how the magic sets him apart from everyone else.  
\---

He takes her to visit his parents who live at the nome in Texas. They eat dinner in a private room in the nome and they seem suspicious of her at first, but Selina is honest and polite, and slowly the suspicion dies away. 

Mrs. O'Hare adores little Callie and loves holding the young Grecian demigod in her arms. Mr. O'Hare takes a special liking to Callie who finds her eagerness to fight to be a little charming.

\--- 

“Did you always know what form you wanted your magic to be?” She asks. 

“Not exactly, it’s not so much a pick and choose it’s more a case of what type of magic fits your personality, a person who prefers to have both feet on solid ground, and is no nonsense, would have a hard time seeing into the duat”

Selina nods. She doesn’t completely understand what the duat is, as far as she can glean it’s something of an inner world that runs parallel to the physical world, parts of it can be used to mask parts of the mythological world from human eyes. 

She later tells him that the shield that hides the mythological world is called ‘the mist’ in roman and Greek mythologies. 

Which he argues is the ‘stupidest name he’s ever heard of’. 

To which she replies that it’s just a good a name as Duat. 

To which they both glare then proceed to glare at eachother, before the pair of them break out laughing.

\--- 

“Ha, ha, ha”

“It’s not funny” 

“Really? cause from my point of view it’s hilarious”

“My brother was traumatised.”

Selina sobers when she here’s that. “Really?” 

“OK he’s very freaked out, a baby just appears the fuck out of nowhere, and Athena telling him it’s his.”

“Did she explain how?” 

“Something about the joining of minds and souls, or something, I don’t know, Fredrick was to freaked out to make much sense.”

"Well Athena _was_ born through Zeus's head..." She says with a shrug."  
   
"He tried to give the baby back, and have the girl raised on Olympus"

"I'm sure Athena was pleased" 

"She refused to take the baby back." Natalie said softly. "And threatened to curse Fredrick to a lifetime of failure if he dared ask that of her again."

"Yeah, the gods don't like their gifts rejected, what's the girl's name?"

"He's decided to name her Annabeth..." 

"Least she'll have a cool aunt..." 

"And cousin" 

"What?"

"I'm pregnant with Frey's child" 

...

"Congratulations" Silena says unsure of what else she should say.  
   
\---      
Johnny smiles at her and takes her hand. “I have something I need to ask of you.”

“You can ask me anything Johnny.”

He get’s down on one knee and a ring box in his hand. “Will you marry me?”

She smiles. “Of course!” She says. He slips the ring on her finger before he gives her a kiss.    
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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked Johnny cause as you can clearly see he's here to stay.


	14. Engagement and Wedding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An epilogue sometime in the future, with a possible sequel tie-in and then this story will be over. 
> 
> If you have any ideas how to make this story better I would love to here them specifically the maid of honor speach. 
> 
> Previous: [puellapulchra100.deviantart.co…](https://puellapulchra100.deviantart.com/art/Emperor-s-Daughter-Ch-13-735315946)  
> Next: [puellapulchra100.deviantart.co…](https://puellapulchra100.deviantart.com/art/Emperor-s-Daughter-epilogue-735588135)

Callie’s first birthday comes, and Natalie comes back up. A little stuffed Apollo doll in her hands as she walks in and gives it to Callie. 

Callie smiles and starts giggling hugging the doll tightly in her hands. 

Silena hugs tightly to Johnny, who turns up and gives Callie a little rattle. That she immediately starts to shake as hard as she can. 

Silena gives her daughter a book on Greek mythologies. A children’s book with lots of pictures. 

Brenda gives her younger sister a kiss. “I lub you” She says. “I’ll take care of you” 

They have cake and ice cream and Brenda makes a mess all over her self. 

At the end of the party Johnny and Silena share a long heartfelt kiss. 

“I can’t wait to call you and the kids mine?”

Silena smiles. 

\--- 

2 months later it’s Brenda’s Birthday. 

“Your kids have their birthday’s way to close together” Natalie complains when she walks through the door. “It feels I was just here!” Her belly is just starting to show she’s now in her third month. 

“Yeah sorry I’ll plan my births a little better next time” Silena says. 

“Hush Cass, you know what I meant” Natalie says with a shrug. “You know I love you.”

“Auntie Natalie!” Brenda cries running up to give her daughter a hug. “You’re here!” 

“Yes, I am, and how old are you now princess?”

“I’m Four!” Brenda says holding up four fingers. “Momma says I’ll be starting kindergarten in a year! I’m just in preschool now” She says. “Little Callie is just in daycare, she’s too little to go to preschool like me!” She says proudly. Brenda is wearing her nicest jeans with a green sweater. In her arms is the Tyr doll she’s had since she was two, it’s obvious it’s been through some rough times. There are patches all over it where Silena has had to sow it back together.

“Do you want to show Natalie your doll?” Silena asks softly. 

“It’s the Norse god Tyr” She says. “Momma reads me stories about him sometimes, she says it’s im-important, that I know Norse Mi-myth-Mythology.”

Natalie kneels and gives Brenda a big squeezing hug. “And what’s your favorite” 

“When Thor has to wear a dress, so the giant man can marry him” She says with a laugh. “It’s so funny.” 

Natalie nods and gives Brenda a kiss on her head. “Can you show me where Callie is?”

Brenda takes Natalie’s hand and leads her to the other room. 

“She deserves to know her roots” She says to Johnny. “Who knows? It could help her one day.” 

“I know” Johnny says. “But those myths can be a bit bloody” 

“I know, I’m going for the most kid friendly versions I can. Telling them in the most kid-friendly way I can, I plan to do the same for Callie when she get’s older.” 

“What did you get Brenda this year?” Johnny asks. 

“A collection of figurines, that range from wizards to hunters, to rogues. “With all the play fighting she likes to do I thought it would be something she likes.” She smiles up at him. “You?” 

“A collection of toy vehicles.”

The party goes on, Natalie gives Brenda a toy Sleipner, Odin’s mighty steed, that has eight legs. Brenda immediately puts Tyr on it and starts pretending, she uses the other figurines in a made-up story she came up with in her mind. Using the toy cars and planes and vehicles as carnage in her destructive path. 

Callie takes one of the toys and tries to put them in her mouth, but Selina rips the car out of Callie’s hand and gives her the rattle Johnny gave her two months before. 

“When’s the wedding?”

“In ten months” 

“I should be fine” Natalie says. 

“I can find someone else” 

“Please, I’ve known you longer then anyone here, it has to be me, after all the crap you’ve been through, I want to be apart of the biggest night of your life.”

“I think the birth of my two kids trumps that, besides travelling with a baby is difficult…”

“I’ll have Fred with me” 

“Yeah speaking of Fred…”

“I can do this Cassie, please have some faith in me?”

“Ok, I do, I’m sorry” She says raising her hands in surrender. “I’m sorry.” 

“Yeah you better be” Natalie gives her a hug goodbye. “See you at the wedding.”

“By!”    
\---

Planning a wedding hurts her head. Johnny is sitting on the floor with his own wooden sword pretending to have a sword fight with Brenda. While she looks through different venues for the wedding reception. “Can’t decide on a venue, I want to at least have it cut down to my final ten before I go to bed tonight”

“How many people are we inviting.”

“Natalie” She says. “Since she’s my maid of honor. I think she’s bringing Fredrick and Annabeth as her +2, apparently Fredrick’s been acting a bit morose.” She says with a roll of her eyes.   

“Natalie is pregnant with the Norse demigod?” Johnny asks pretending to dodge Brenda’s attack. “Annabeth the Greek demigod?” 

“Yes” She says.  “Anyway that’s 3 technically four if Magnus is born before the wedding” 

“There are my parents” Johnny said lunging slowly his wooden sword hitting Brenda’s own sword. “That’s six, plus JD and his wife that’s 8” 

“My kids, that’s ten.”

“Isn’t Brenda in the wedding, she’s the flower girl”

“Yeah speaking of, are you going to have a ring bearer?” 

“I have a little nephew, I wanted to ask”

“That’s 11 plus his parents that’s 13”

“My grand parents that’s 15” 

“You’re friends from the Nome, sorry the entire Nome so that’s another 20, so… 35”

“I have a few friends outside the Nome too, people I met in college, and people I met at work.” He says, and Brenda stabs him in the side. He groans and pretends to die to Brenda and her mother’s amusement.  

Johnny works at as a DJ at the local bar, and, occasionally does gigs at local clubs with a few of his buddies in the House of Life. He plays acoustic guitar and sings in the band. It does not pay much, but it pays enough.  

“Should have thought to make friends while I was in the orchestra, I could totally invite a few over.” She says with a sigh. “My side is going to look so empty” she says forlorn.

Johnny jumps up and picks and Brenda who squeals in delight. “We’ll divide wedding differently so there are people on both sides” He says kissing her forehead. 

“Why did my family have to be a bunch of jerks?”

“I’m not marrying your entire family, I’m marrying you and if your family couldn’t see the amazing woman you are then that’s their problem”

“That one looks pretty” Johnny says picking out a venue. 

The room is cream colored and has a maximum of 100 people. 

“I have some friends from when I studied in Egypt, and I know Desjardin is going to be pissed if I don’t invite him. An invitation to Iskandar couldn’t hurt” 

She feels uneasy, while Johnny’s parents accepted her with open arms, (However hesitant they may have been at first” And the rest of Texas has accepted the fact that she has roman blood and two demigod kids she’s not entirely sure the rest of Egypt would be so accommodating. 

“Stop it, Iskandar is not as closed minded as you fear he is, Desjardin is not going to dare go against the chief lector and literally everyone else does not matter.” Johnny says kissing her on the for head. 

“Is mommy ok?” Brenda asks. 

She smiles at her daughter. “Yeah, daddy and I are just figuring things out for the wedding?”

“Is that when Daddy will become my real daddy?” She says her eyes lighting up. 

Silena laughs and nods her head. “Yes, Brenda that’s exactly what that means.” 

\---  
The months pass, Silena agonizes over every choice. Where to honeymoon, if they should honeymoon, what to serve, where to host the actual wedding, what kind of wedding to have wedding. 

Suddenly the wedding is here, and she’s scared. Not that she’s making a mistake marrying Johnny but that something will go wrong. She’s nervous and anxious. 

“Ready?” Natalie asks. She’s in a Lilac dress. 

“Where’s your son?” She asks. The boy is now five months old. IT’s now June, Callie’s birthday is coming soon, she’ll be two. She thinks of how Callie has already started talking, can sit up, is already eating full foods. 

And Brenda is starting kindergarten soon. She remembers Johnny playing with her. She remembers Johnny making funny faces at Callie, making her laugh. 

She smiles. Yes. Marrying Johnny was right. She has no qualms about doing this.

“He’s with Fredrick, Sitting with Annabeth in the front row.” 

“It was nice of Johnny to open a portal, so you could get here easily.” 

“Yes, it was,” Natalie acknowledges. “We really shouldn’t keep him waiting, forcing him to wait any longer to see the woman he loves looking lovely in that wide wedding dress.”

The dress is white, her sleeves start off the shoulder. A string of pearls dangles from her neck. It belongs to Natalie. She’s wearing her bracelet that can transform into a shield. In her hair is her hair clip that can transform into a sword is fastened to her hair. Blue stones are glued to it. 

Her bouquet is filled with daisies, the blue lotus, roses, and lilies. She’s clutching them tightly and Natalie smiles and Silena turns and follows Natalie out the door. 

\--- 

The wedding goes by in a blur. She spends the entire wedding eager for it to be over, so she can finally call Johnny her husband. 

They recite their vows. There the simple traditional vows that most people op to say. Silena is not as good with words as she is with music, and nothing she could say could beat the vows that have been there for several generations. She speaks calmly and surely giving her vow that she will love and cherish and love him for the rest of his life and Johnny is promising the same. 

She can feel her heart fluttering when Johnny takes her hand and slips the golden wedding band on her ring finger. “With this ring, I thee wed” He says softly. 

She places the wedding ring on his finger. “With this ring, I thee wed” She echoes him. 

Then the reverend announces. “I now pronounce you man and wife, you may now kiss the bride.”

Johnny places a hand on her waist pulls her close and kisses her so deeply that she loses her breath for a moment.  
\--- 

The reception afterwards is hectic. She stands outside in the hot sun receiving guests many whom she doesn’t know. Fredrick looks like a dear caught in headlights as he walks up with Annabeth. (Magnus Chase is in Natalie’s hands, under the shade of a tree.) Brenda is standing beside Selina shaking hands with everyone that comes by.

Callie is already inside with her step-grandparents. Brenda wanted to stay with Johnny and Brenda since she’s a flower girl. But Callie was still a baby, and though she is a demigod she didn’t want her to be overheated so she asked Johnny’s parents to take Callie inside. 

“Brenda if he gets too hot, you tell me immediately ok?” She says as she shakes hands with an elderly man and a man with dark skin and black hair walked up to them. 

“Chief Lector Iskandar” Johnny says to the old man. “I’m so glad you could make it.”

Iskandar is smiling. “There was no way I could miss a wedding such as this.” Iskandar says, his voice has a heavy Egyptian accent. Iskandar smiles at Selina. “I hope you are happy here” He says. “A girl with a burden as yours deserves the chance to have it shared.”

“I would not wish my burdens on anyone Chief Lector” She says respectfully. “But I thank you.”

“Have you met Michel Desjardins?” He asks motioning to the man beside him. 

Desjardin gaze is cold and uncaring. Selina can’t help but shrink under his gaze. Johnny holds her hand. Brenda clues in immediately and cuts in. 

“Stop making mommy scared” Brenda says, and she stomps hard on Desjardins foot. 

Desjardin gasps in pain and clasps his foot. 

“Brenda!” Selina cries picking Brenda up. “Say your sorry” 

“He was scaring you!” Brenda cries. 

“Never the less he did not deserve that, say your sorry”

Brenda pouted. “I’m sorry” She forces out. “I want to go inside now”

“Go” 

Natalie stands in. “It’s getting to hot, I’ll take her to her step-grandparents” Natalie says. 

“I’m not a baby” Brenda pouts she says stomping inside. 

“Nice child” Desjardin says sarcastically. 

“She seems to really care about her mother, it is a wonderful thing” Iskandar cuts in. “That should be acknowledged even if her show of her loyalty was a little to forward.”

“She’s never done something like that before” Selina says. 

“Hmm” Desjardin says before he walks in with Iskandar beside him. 

\--- 

“So, you’re Roman” Desjardins says. 

“A fact I hate more then you do.” She assures Desjardins. She’s not surprised he knows she hadn’t kept it a secret after she had told Johnny. She had even told Johnny to tell any one ‘who should be made aware.’ 

The entire Texan Nome new, as did Iskandar and Desjardin. But other then being made aware to the other Nomes that other mythologies are indeed real. Not much else was made aware of her background and her kids background. 

“Who already as two kids from two different mythologies, must be the Roman conquering blood in you.”

“Get to the point” She says to him annoyed. 

“Betray the House of Life and you will answer to me.”

“I betray the house of life, I’ll hand you my own sword.” She says. 

“Cassie!” Natalie calls running out to her. “Come on, what is the point of giving a speech to the bride and groom, if the bride isn’t there” She gives Desjardin a look. “You should sit too”

“Thank you” She whispers once she’s out of Desjardins sight. 

“No worries” Natalie says. “Take a seat by your husband.”

\--- 

“So as most of you know, I am the brides best and only friend.” Natalie turned and stuck her tongue out at Selina, who returned the gesture. “I met her when she lived in Boston, already pregnant with little Brenda, she would stand out in rain and snow, playing her violin, making as much money as she could, trying to support herself. She endured all the glares and disgusted looks she got as her baby grew within her, and she never rose to the insults. She continued to play. Then after Brenda was born, I would take care of her, or my mom and dad would, ‘G-d bless their souls.” She says, Selina’s eyes started to tear up. 

“She tried to push me away, scared of what would happen if I got to close, so she told me her secret, told me that her father abused her, her first love was killed in front of her, her mother was killed, and still she found reason get up in the morning. I can still see it, she thinks she’s a coward for running away, but honestly to me… she’s the strongest woman I know.” 

Silena bit her lip. 

“Then she got a job as a violinist in an orchestra in New York, and met Callie’s father, and I thought, maybe she had nothing to worry about, maybe she’d finally be happy, she could stop worrying, she could be happy.”

“I only wish I could beat the crap out of the guy who broke up with her over a fight, no scratch that, I wish I could beat the crap out of both the guys who broke her heart. But She did not beg, she did not cry, she let them go, and moved on.”

“When she met Johnny, I could hardly hope that maybe she would find happiness with you, oh she had met other guys, that weren’t fathers of her children, but it seemed the second she mentioned that she had two kids by two different fathers they would find a reason to walk away. I found it a good sign that Johnny did not walk away, I found it even better when he treated Brenda with respect. He was understanding and kind, and he made Silena’s face light up brighter then the sun, she was the happiest I had ever seen when he asked her to marry him. He loved Brenda and Callie like his own children.”

I love her kids, Brenda is feisty, and loyal, and a joy to be around. And I cannot wait to see the little spitfire that Callie grows into. They are all treasures and I am so happy that they get to have a father to help raise them.”

Natalie sighs. “I hope the best for you two, after everything you’ve been through, Silena Cassie Julia Claudia Romano Maglieri,” Silena’s eyes widened at the use of all her previous names. “You deserve only the best.”

Silena stood and gave Natalie the biggest hug she could. 

\--- 

After that there was a quick speech from the Best man JD who gave a short quip over how Natalie’s was far better then his mainly because Johnny didn’t have a tragic backstory. But reaffirmed sweet things like Johnny was happiest he’s ever been, and they deserved to be together. 

It was cake, and dancing, Johnny danced with his mother and though Silena could not dance with her own father she decided to instead dance with her eldest daughter. Brenda was clumsy, but she had fun being spun around by her mother. 

After the parent-child dance Johnny and Silena danced together. 

“I love you, Lena” He whispered to her. “Forever and for always”

Silena gave Johnny a long kiss, oblivious to all the people watching. “As I love you, Jonathan.”

\--- 

Brenda and Callie had been arranged to stay with their now official step-grandparents while Johnny and Silena went on their honeymoon. 

They went to Egypt and had phone seeing the sights, the pyramids, and he took her to see the special tour of the Hall of Ages, in the first nome. She watched in surprise as she saw her wedding play right in front of her. 

Iskandar let them sleep together in the nome, and she met some of the newest recruits to learning Egyptian magic. 

They spent a week in Egypt seeing the sights, before they headed off to Rome. To see Silena’s past. 

She saw the ruins of the palaces still standing, she saw the colosseum, she heard things about her father a former emperor that made her nearly cry. She saw everything Rome had to offer, and after those two weeks the two of them returned back home.  
\--- 

A year later she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. She was surrounded by Natalie and her husband, and her two perfect kids. It had taken a long time to get to where she was going, but she finally felt happy and safe. 

“Kamilah O’hare” She named her baby with a kiss to the baby’s forehead. “Little Ilah.”  

Perhaps not everyone in the community likes her, perhaps they are a little distrustful of her, but so long as her family is ok, and they are like. Silena Cassie Julia Claudia Romano Magileri can handle just about anything that stands in her way. 

For the first time in a long time, she’s not just the emperor’s daughter. She’s a mother, a wife, a friend, a violinist, she’s strong, she smart, she is so deeply in love and is loved in return. 

And she wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.  
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	15. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last Chapter: [puellapulchra100.deviantart.co…](https://puellapulchra100.deviantart.com/art/Emperor-s-Daughter-Ch-14-735476698)?
> 
> Since this is over this is the original prompt I came up with: [authorgirl1111.tumblr.com/post…](https://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?https://authorgirl1111.tumblr.com/post/170653017698/ok-now-think-about-it-three-half-siblings-with-the)
> 
> This is not good, but it started with Julia I figured it should end with Julia. 
> 
>  
> 
> . 
> 
> See you guys till then.

"That's interesting" Silena said over the phone with her youngest daughter. "Are you coming too?" 

Callie and Brenda stood by the doorway listening in, they could practically _hear_ Kamilah's pout on the other line.

"No" Kamilah said sound dejected. "Since it's not a social call, they don't want me getting distracted by having me come over so, provided the entire world doesn't end by Friday I should be home by then."

"That's good" Silena said though she sounded agitated. "Just be safe ok?" She asked her youngest. "I know how much you like over doing your spells."

"Yes mom"

"Can't wait to hear what new spells you've learned" Johnny said.  

"I will!" Then she went silent. "Is Callie ok?"

"I'm fine!" Callie shouted. "Be even better if people stopped asking me."

"Yeah if you count waking up screaming everynight 'fine' she's peachy keen," Brenda said with a roll of her eyes. "I thought your father was the god of truth shouldn't you hate lying?"

Kamilah chuckled. "Call me later I want to hear all about the party, since _I_   _won't be there!"_ She shouted the last four words out to someone in the Brooklyn nome. Who responded with something Silena couldn't make out." 

Johnny laughed. "We will sweetie, take care of your self, we love you!"

"Love you guys too, bye!" 

Silena turned off her phone and stood staring at her for a long moment, tears threatening to spill over, before turning to Callie and Brenda. "Brenda take care of your sister while we're gone ok?"

“Mom, I’m 17 years old I don’t need a baby sitter” Callie said with a roll of her eyes. "I’ll be fine here alone, I want to practice my violin.”

Brenda rolled her eyes. “You can play so long as you close your door, Callie.” 

Silena sighed. “You just finished participating in a major battle, like literally over the summer, the absolute last thing you need after something that traumatic is to be left alone” 

“I’m not traumatised!” Callie insisted her voice raised to a shriek.

“Is that why you were screaming last night?” Brenda asked with a raised eyebrow. “And then crawled into my bed.” 

“You shut up” Callie pointed to Brenda. “Mom come on, I’m fine.” 

“No Callie” Silena said. “I don’t want you home alone tonight,”

Callie side stepped and went to her step-father. “Dad come on, tell mom I can totally handle being home alone.” 

“Uh!” Silena said lifting her hands in ‘what the hell’ gesture.

“No Callie” Johnny said. “Your mother doesn’t want you alone tonight, the answer is no.” 

Callie huffed. “You would let Kamilah and Brenda stay home alone”

“If they had just fought in a very deadly battle, no I wouldn’t” Silena turned to Johnny, "You know maybe I should stay home tonight?" 

“No” Brenda said stepping in. “You’re playing in the band tonight, and it’s the first night off you’ve had in weeks go, please. I can totally handle anything Callie can throw at me.” 

“She does have good reflexes” Johnny said. Silena elbowed her husband in the stomach.

“The phone will be on all night, and you can call every two hours, to make sure that Callie and I are ok. Your not a horrible mother for taking a few hours to breath. Kamilah is in Brooklyn I’m old enough to vote, and taking psych classes, and I am totally strong enough to handle Callie if she wants to fight.”

“I’m not that bad, and it’s only really bad when I sleep.” Callie muttered. 

“I can handle my sister mom you can go out.” 

“But” Brenda grabbed Silena’s violin pushed it into Silena’s hand. 

“It will be fine” Brenda insisted gently shoving toward the open door. “Have fun” 

“Call me the minute something goes wrong Brenda”

Callie stared up at her step-father. "I'm _fine_ , I can be left alone."

Johnny held her shoulders. "You know how your mother is, she's just worried about you, just humor her please. You forget that she almost lost you too and there is very little she can do about Kamilah. Just give her a few weeks ok?" 

Callie nodded and Johnny gave her a kiss on the forehead. Gave Brenda a hug and joined Silena outside. "Come on, I personally want to see these kids that have turned the Egyptian world on it's ear." He said taking Silena by the hand.

“I’m your little fighter mom, I won’t let my sister suffer needlessly, If I can’t calm her I will call you” Brenda promised, before she shut the door closed."

Silena never made that phone call.  
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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone remembers the Serpants Shadow of Kane Chronicles you know exactly why Silena never makes the final phone call, but incase you forgot, it's the night of the attack, Julia is playing in the band, Johnny's apart of the nome and the reason why Kamilah isn't there is because she's in Brooklyn learning the path of the gods.


End file.
